Pablo Escobar’s hippos are taking over Colombia’s swamps – and must suffer the same fate as their deceased owner before they are impossible to control, scientists have warned.
The so-called “cocaine hippos” were illegally imported into the country by the infamous drug lord, who was shot dead by authorities in 1993, the Telegraph reported.
But the fast-reproducing beasts have now become the largest invasive species in the world – and could reach dangerous numbers in the next two decades.
“Nobody likes the idea of shooting a hippo, but we have to accept that no other strategy will work,” ecologist Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez told the outlet.
When Escobar was murdered, authorities took control of his 7,000-acre estate, including a personal zoo.
While most animals found homes in zoos elsewhere, four of the hippos escaped.
With no real predators, there are anywhere from 80 to 100 descendants of the Escobar’s former pets that terrorize the country’s lakes and rivers, the Telegraph reported.
Scientists have predicted that the hippopotamus population could rise to 1,500 by 2024.
The hippos pose a threat to wildlife because their urine and feces are poisonous, which can make other species and even humans sick, the Telegraph reported.
David Echeverri Lopez, a government environmentalist, said they are racing to neuter the critters before they take over.
“These hippos have become part of the local identity. But time is running out, ”he said.
But others fear that there is no other option but to slaughter them.
“Relocation might have been possible 30 years ago, when there were only four hippos,” Castelblanco-Martínez told the outlet.
“Castration could also have been effective if officials had provided adequate resources for the program at an early stage, but culling is now the only option.”