Scientists warn that a rapidly growing population of hippos introduced decades ago through the Pablo Escobar drug column in Colombia must be eliminated to conserve the local ecosystem, according to a study published this month.
Researchers in the study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, warned that hippos, the “largest invasive animal” in the world, are likely to colonize habitats across the country with a serious environmental impact.
Hippos, not native to Colombia, were illegally imported in the 1980s by Escobar – the drug terrorist and drug dealer killed in 1994 – to create a private zoo on his Hacienda Nápoles farm. While many of Escobar’s animals were resettled after his death, the hippos remained because of the difficulty of catching them, the study reads.
Last year, the hippos at Hacienda Nápoles were concerned about defecating the feces of the water in which they live, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. The feces of animals fertilize the growth of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, and threaten water quality.
“Our models predicted that the worst-case scenario would occur if no management strategies were implemented: the population would continue to grow positively, with potential ecological and socio-economic long-term negative consequences,” the study said.
Although authorities have made efforts to sterilize the hippos, the population of animals in Colombia has continued to increase. Hippos have gained approval from locals, who consider them a potential tourist attraction, and they are protected by environmental legislation.
The investigation prompted the Colombian authorities to reconsider their position on the elimination of hippos, which is the most effective way to control the population. The study also insists that public education is needed about the risk of hippos as an invasive species and its potential impact on local existence.
“This knowledge is essential to guide public perception of the social and ecological consequences that hundreds of thousands of vulnerable rural citizens may experience in the most important hydrographic basin in Colombia,” the study said.
Hippos, the largest land animal in the world, after elephants, can weigh up to 8,000 pounds, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. The organization lists them under the status ‘vulnerable’.
The hippopotamus is normally native to Africa and is considered vulnerable to habitat loss due to destruction due to human behavior. Hippos also endanger hunters because they are excluded from banning or harvesting ivory, says the African Wildlife Foundation. Ivory poachers searched for hippopotamus teeth, the canines that are the cut teeth of the species and canines.
