Colombian judge orders hippopotamus control plan in Nare River

A judge has ordered Colombian environmental authorities to implement an urgent control plan for hippopotamuses in the Nare River, located in Puerto Nare, Antioquia. The ruling follows a legal action filed to protect 23 students from the risks posed by the invasive species as they use the river daily for school transportation.

Corantioquia has been granted one month to define specific management actions for the hippopotamuses and an additional month to execute a comprehensive control plan. The court also mandated the implementation of safety measures to ensure secure transit along the fluvial corridor, including preventive signage, school transport safety protocols, an emergency hotline, and an early warning system.

The legal challenge was directed at the Ministry of Environment, Corantioquia, the Government of Antioquia, and the Mayor's Office of Puerto Nare. The decision highlights a lack of prevention mechanisms in the area, where the presence of the animals threatens not only students from the Jorge Enrique Villegas and El Gatico rural educational institutions but also local artisanal fishermen and other river users.