African zoologists are in Colombia to advise local authorities on what
to do with dozens of hippos roaming around the abandoned zoo of late
drug lord Pablo Escobar in the north of the country.
Colombia was shocked last month at news that one of the giant
beasts, who had escaped from Escobar’s Hacienda Napoles, had been
hunted down and shot on order of the government.
Bogota-based beer company Bavaria, owned by SABMiller, invited
wildlife experts Michael Knight and Peter Morkel from South Africa and
Tanzania to find the best way to deal with the surviving animals.
The slain hippopotamus, called Pepe, was killed by a .375 caliber round through the heart.
It was a fate not unlike that of Escobar, who controlled most of the
world’s cocaine supply before being gunned down by police on a Medellin
rooftop in 1993. He was so flush with cash in the 1980s that he flew in
hundreds of exotic animals, including kangaroos, elephants, rhinos and
nine hippos.
The experts will spend a week at Hacienda Napoles to come up with a
plan for caring for the hippos that are still living and multiplying on
the estate.
The zoologists will also help look for Pepe’s mate, Matilda, who escaped along with him in 2006, and their calf.
The mother and child are living in the wild near the Magdalena
River, according to local residents who catch sight of them from time
to time.
The government called off the hunt for Matilda following the scandal caused by Pepe’s killing.
Zoologist Knight sympathized with the position of Colombia’s
Environment Ministry, which had argued that hippos living wildly
represented a threat to the local ecosystem.
“The primary responsibility of the ministry is the conservation of the biodiversity of Colombia,” he said.
“You are dealing with an alien species,” Knight said but he added:
“We are looking for alternatives and solutions depending on what
opportunities exist.”
Escobar’s zoo was seen by Colombians as a symbol of his power and
extravagance. Most of the animals were taken to local public zoos after
his death but the hippos were considered too big and dangerous to
transport. (Reuters)