Escobar's Hippos Sterilized
In Colombia, 24 hippos on the former farm of Pablo Escobar have been sterilized. The aim is to curb their uncontrolled reproduction.
To curb uncontrolled reproduction, animal welfare organizations have sterilized 24 hippos.
GonaCon Instead of Culling
Authorities in Colombia have sterilized 24 hippos on the former farm of the late drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The wild animals had been reproducing uncontrollably, explained the environmental organization Cornare. Escobar had kept two hippos as well as other exotic animals such as giraffes, zebras, and kangaroos on the farm. After his death, all the animals were sold — except for the hippos. These multiplied into a herd of 80 animals.
24 hippos were administered a drug called GonaCon via darts, Cornare further announced. This is a contraceptive that is effective in both males and females. A further eleven hippos were sterilized using conventional methods.
Escobar's Farm Is Now a Tourist Attraction
What is presumably the largest hippo herd outside Africa had been causing increasing problems. “The presence of these animals in an ecosystem that is not their own has consequences such as the displacement of local fauna.” The animals had also repeatedly attacked fishermen, explained Cornare staff member David Echeverri.
After Escobar's death in 1993, there had been disputes over ownership of his farm, located 400 kilometers northwest of the capital Bogotá. The private wildlife park «Hacienda Nápoles» was eventually opened as an attraction for tourists.
