Colombia rescues newborn “cocaine hippo” at Hacienda Nápoles

Wildlife officials in north‑western Colombia rescued a newborn hippopotamus that had been found alone, malnourished and dehydrated by fishermen on the banks of a river in the Puerto Nare municipality of Antioquia. Veterinarians treated the calf before transferring it to the sanctuary at the former Escobar estate, Hacienda Nápoles. The animal is part of a wild population of about 200 hippos that descend from the four hippos Pablo Escobar imported in the 1980s. The growing herd is classified as an invasive species, threatening local ecosystems by competing with native fauna and polluting waterways. The Colombian government has approved a plan to cull roughly 80 individuals after earlier sterilisation attempts failed, while also considering costly overseas relocation. The rescue highlights ongoing challenges in managing the “cocaine hippos” and the ecological legacy of Escobar’s private zoo.