Pablo Escobar's wild hippo herd to be hunted down and killed in Colombia

Pablo Escobar's wild hippo herd to be hunted down and killed in ColombiaPablo Escobar brought hippos into Colombia in the 1980s for his private zoo; the four of them mated, multiplied and then roamed freely around the South American countryNewsJeremy Armstrong News Reporter20:25, 15 Apr 2026View 4 ImagesHippos are pictured at Hacienda Napoles Park, once the private estate of Pablo Escobar(Image: AP)Colombian officials are set to cull 80 wild hippos from a colony originally started by Pablo Escobar. The notorious drug lord brought four of the animals into Colombia in the 1980s for his private zoo in the Magdalena River valley. They mated, multiplied and then roamed freely around the country. A study published by Colombia's National University estimated that there were around 170 hippos in the country in 2022. Environmental authorities say the mammals pose a threat to villagers who have encountered them in farms and rivers. Now the Government has said that around 80 of them will be culled in order to protect the environment and people who live locally.‌View 4 ImagesHippos on the former Pablo Escobar estate(Image: AFP via Getty Images)‌READ MORE: Amanda Knox to travel to UK to promote film about Meredith Kercher's murderREAD MORE: England and Scotland among eight nations impacted by World Cup ban at host stadiumEnvironment Minister Irene Vélez said previous methods to control their population had not worked and proved expensive.‌They included neutering some of the animals or moving them to zoos. Announcing the cull, she said: "If we don't do this we will not be able to control the population. "We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems." The animals are also competing for food and space against local species such as river manatees. But animal welfare activists have opposed the plan. Andrea Padilla, a senator who drafted a law against bullfights in Colombia, described he cull as "cruel".View 4 ImagesThe area has b...