Русский
Russia is leading an international effort to save 80 descendants of the so-called “cocaine hippos” once owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, according to Svetlana Akulova, the head of the Russian affiliate of the Global Union of Zoological Institutions (GUZI). The organisation is a worldwide network of zoos.
Authorities in Colombia plan to euthanize the animals, which they see as a growing invasive threat. Escobar imported four hippos from Africa for his private zoo in the 1980s. After he was killed in 1993, the animals were left behind on his abandoned estate and eventually escaped into the surrounding countryside, where they bred and multiplied.
The herd has swelled to nearly 200 animals and could reach 1,000 within a decade. Colombian authorities say the hippos are tearing up riverbanks, disrupting local ecosystems, and increasingly coming into conflict with nearby communities and fishermen. The Columbian Environment Minister has stated the planned cull is necessary to protect Colombia’s ecosystems.
Akulova, who is also the director of the Moscow Zoo, described the effort as an “unprecedented international campaign” to save the animals. GUZI said it had appealed to Colombian authorities to halt the euthanasia plan and instead transfer the animals to zoos and sanctuaries accredited by the association.
India’s Vantara, one of the world’s largest animal rescue and rehabilitation centers, has joined the Russian effort and offered to relocate the hippos to a specially designed sanctuary. Anant Ambani, Vantara’s founder said ”These hippos did not choose where to be born, nor did they create the circumstances they now face. They are living, sentient beings, and if we have the capacity to save them through a safe and humane solution, we have the responsibility to try.”
GUZI said it was also working on a “fair distribution” of the animals among accredited zoos and related institutions to tackle genetic problems caused by the herd’s limited gene pool. This includes suitable locations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Moscow Zoo may take one or two animals.
While some ancient megafauna such as Elephants and Rhinoceros adapted to life in cooler climates, and Mammoth and Wholly Rhinoceros remains have been found in Siberia, the Hippopotamus never adapted to cold climates.
