Bogota, Colombia. Some countries refused to receive hippos of former cocaine baron Pablo Escobar due to a genetic mutation, one of the measures, along with the sterilization and sacrifice of specimens, of a plan launched by Colombia to stop its uncontrolled reproduction.
Attempts to relocate specimens from the Magdalena River have not been successful due to a genetic mutation in the hippos, Environment Minister Irene Vélez said this Monday.
“There is an important genetic mutation, which is why some countries are reluctant” to accept them, Vélez told BluRadio, after announcing the implementation of the plan to sacrifice some 80 specimens.
“We believe it has to do with the genetic poverty” of the animals, added the minister.
In Colombia there are close to 200 hippos, according to the Environment portfolio. They are considered an invasive species and destabilize native ecosystems.
Without control, it is estimated that the hippopotamus population could increase to 500 by 2030, according to the Ministry of the Environment.
Colombian hippos have malformations due to inbreeding, such as one recorded in their mouth, according to Vélez.
They arrived in the country at the whim of Escobar, who in 1980 introduced four specimens to his farm in Magdalena Medio (north-central), converted into a personal zoo full of exotic species.
Slaughter and sterilization campaigns are difficult and expensive. The death of each animal costs close to 14,000 dollars and the authorities will begin them in the second half of 2026.
Sterilizations cost about $10,000 each and have risks such as the death of veterinarians or the animals due to an allergic reaction to the anesthesia.
It is estimated that the hippo population could increase to 500 by 2030 if its population is not controlled, according to the Ministry of Environment.
