What began as a bizarre symbol of excess in a drug lord’s private zoo has turned into one of South America’s most unusual environmental crises. Deep in Colombia’s river systems, hundreds of hippos, descendants of animals once imported illegally by Pablo Escobar, now roam freely, far from their native Africa. Their numbers have surged over the decades, transforming them from a curiosity into a growing ecological and public safety concern. Now, Colombian authorities have approved a controversial plan to kill up to 80 of these animals, igniting debate between conservationists, scientists, and animal rights activists over what should be done with Escobar’s unlikely and dangerous legacy.
