Colombia's rogue hippos could find refuge in India

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. The Americas Colombia's rogue hippos could find refuge in India May 8, 202612:24 PM ET By Manuel Rueda Hippos wallow at a lagoon in the Hacienda Napoles Park, once the private estate of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, in Puerto Triunfo, Colombia. Fernando Vergara/AP hide caption toggle caption Fernando Vergara/AP DORADAL, Colombia—In a small town in central Colombia, the grunt of hippos has become part of the soundscape. Every afternoon in Doradal, locals and tourists hang out at a lake on the edge of town.

They chat and drink beers as they watch the giant beasts floating on the water. "This is one of the main attractions in town," says Lina Morales, a local hotel worker. The hippos are the descendants of four animals brought illegally to Colombia in the 1980's by Pablo Escobar.

The Details

The notorious drug lord owned a private zoo on a ranch near Doradal, where he also had elephants, giraffes, and zebras. Sponsor Message But no one captured the hippos after the Colombian government seized Escobar's properties in 1993. And because of the lack of natural predators, their population exploded.

Scientists estimate there are now 200 hippos roaming freely around Doradal—a town surrounded by lush forests and big rivers. Some say the time has come to cull them. Biologist Nataly Castelblanco-Martinez explains that the hippos deposit large amounts of waste in lakes and riverbeds, which can lead to drastic changes in water chemistry.

"Including changes in the pH and also less oxygen. So, then all the plants that need oxygen in the water are going to collapse because of this," Castelblanco-Martinez says. With fewer underwater plants, the local food chain suffers.

What Experts Say

"The hippos have a transversal impact on the ecosystem," Castelblanco-Martinez adds. In mid-April, Colombia's government announced a plan to control the country's hippo population, including culling up to 80 animals this year. In Doradal, the hippos have become a tourist attraction—statues of the animals are displayed throughout the town.

A stack of three hippo statues stands at Hacienda Nápoles Park, once the private estate of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, in Puerto Triunfo, Colombia. Fernando Vergara/AP hide caption toggle caption Fernando Vergara/AP "They are part of our community now," says business owner Tania Galindo. "There's no other place outside of Africa with wild hippos.

" Some locals now take visitors on hippo safaris, while others sell keyrings, T-shirts, and other souvenirs featuring the semi-aquatic mammals. "Their population should be controlled," Galindo says. "But in a peaceful manner that respects their life, and the appreciation we have for them.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.