Four common hippos imported to Colombia as part of Pablo Escobar's private collection in the late 1980s have multiplied into the world's largest known population of invasive hippos. More than 80 of the animals now roam Colombia's rivers and wetlands, raising concerns about their impact on freshwater ecosystems and native species.
The hippos were brought to Escobar's Hacienda Nápoles estate, located east of Medellín. After Escobar was killed in 1993, the animals were left behind. Moving them proved difficult and expensive because of their size and strength, allowing some of them to leave the estate and settle in nearby waterways.
