‘The Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos’: How the Exotic Pets Threaten Colombia’s Wildlife (VIDEO)
Notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s brutal regime ended in a hail of bullets.
His infamous reign of terror left Colombia with the legacy of a corrupt narco-state and something more bizarre: African hippos. Smithsonian Channel will premiere The Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos on Wednesday, August 26.
In the 1980s, Escobar smuggled four hippos into Colombia to join his growing collection of exotic animals at his $63 million estate outside Medellin. Left to fend for themselves in the wake of his death, these extremely dangerous beasts – responsible for more deaths in Africa than lions or crocodiles – broke out.
Today, breeding at twice their typical rate and with no natural predators keeping them in check, more than 60 roam the Colombian wilds, wreaking havoc in villages at night and threatening the ecosystem that feeds into the Magdalena River, Colombia’s main watershed.
Smithsonian Channel/ Edgar Jimenez
The situation of the Colombian hippopotamus is an ecological time bomb that urgently needs to be diffused. Surprisingly, Colombians adore their hippos despite the dangers, and it’s illegal to cull them.
Left with no other option, Colombian veterinarian Dr. Gina Serna is tasked with capturing and sterilizing them – an operation extremely difficult to perform in the wilds of Colombia.
Smithsonian Channel/ Edgar Jimenez
As the largest foreign invader in Colombia, these formidable creatures pose not only a serious threat to human life, but also to the country’s wildlife and native ecosystem.
Aggressively frontal and territorial, the consequences could be catastrophic.
The Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos, Premiere, Wednesday, August 26, 8/7c, Smithsonian Channel
