Colombia has officially approved a plan to cull up to 80 hippopotamuses roaming its rivers and wetlands — animals that descend from four individuals imported in the 1980s by drug lord Pablo Escobar for his private zoo. Environment Minister Irene Vélez confirmed the decision, saying that previous attempts to control the population had proven too expensive and ineffective. "If we don't do this we will not be able to control the population," she said. "We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems." The government has allocated approximately 1.7 million euros for the operation, though no start date has been announced.
When Escobar was shot dead in 1993, Colombian authorities seized his vast estate, Hacienda Nápoles — a sprawling ranch in the Magdalena River valley — and rehomed most of his exotic animal collection. Four hippos, however, were overlooked. With no natural predators, abundant water, and a warm climate, the animals bred prolifically. Estimates now put the wild population at around 170 to 200 individuals, with some spotted more than 100 kilometres from the original ranch. Experts warn the population could reach 1,500 by 2035 without decisive intervention. Colombia is currently the only country outside Africa with a wild hippo population.
Previous efforts to address the problem have repeatedly fallen short. Neutering and sterilisation programmes proved dangerous, slow, and costly given the difficulty of capturing animals that can weigh over three tonnes. Contraceptive dart trials in 2021 yielded limited results. Relocating the hippos to zoos abroad or returning them to Africa has also been deemed unfeasible, partly because the small gene pool and potential disease risks make reintegration into African ecosystems problematic.
The decision has provoked sharp criticism from animal welfare advocates. Senator Andrea Padilla, a prominent animal rights activist who helped draft Colombia's anti-bullfighting legislation, called the cull "cruel" and accused officials of choosing the easy path. Activists also argue that resolving wildlife problems through killing sets a troubling precedent in a country still recovering from decades of armed conflict. Local communities near Hacienda Nápoles — which has been converted into a theme park featuring water slides, pools, and a zoo — have their own reservations, as hippo-spotting tours and souvenir sales have made the animals a significant source of income.
The case illustrates the long-term environmental consequences of unchecked wildlife trafficking and private animal collections. While the hippos pose genuine threats to native species such as river manatees, as well as to farmers and villagers who encounter them in fields and waterways, their removal raises difficult ethical questions. The Colombian government's move signals that, after more than three decades of inaction and failed half-measures, ecological concerns have finally outweighed the political costs of a controversial cull.