Thanks Pablo: Colombia’s Growing Hippo Problem

Posted on June 29, 2014
By Gayne C. Young
Clash Daily Guest Contributor

The late drug lord Pablo Escobar’s legacy is not only one of terrifying violence, American cities swimming in cocaine, and a border run by cartels but one of hippos.

Lots and lots of hungry, hungry hippos.

At the height of his power, Pablo built Hacienda Napoles: a 5,500-acre estate of drug lord hedonistic pleasures complete with an army of life-size concrete dinosaurs, a bullring, a harem of underage party girls, and a menagerie of zoo animals that included four hippos. Following El Patrón’s death in 1993, the Colombian government took control of Hacienda Napoles. It allowed the house to fall into disarray, looked the other way as treasure hunters roamed the property digging for gold, sent the party girls home, and gave away or sold most of the zoo animals.

Except for the hippos. Nobody wanted them. This because most people don’t have the space for a three-ton animal that eats hundreds of pounds of food per day.

The original four hippos are now more than 60 and they’ve terrorized neighbors, farmers, and the aforementioned treasure hunters who still come searching for a hefty payday. They’ve killed cows and other farm animals and they’ve terrified fishermen.

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