Pablo Escobar – आवारा मुसाफिर

Colombia’s ‘cocaine hippo’ population is bigger than previously thought

June 7, 2023830 Views

The most comprehensive census yet reveals that there could be twice as many of the invasive animals than previous estimates indicated Colombia’s invasive hippo population is even larger than researchers had thought, according to the most thorough census of the animals conducted yet. Scientists were already concerned about the hippos — considered the largest invasive animal in the world — threatening native plants and animals in the country, and had been calling for drastic measures to reduce the population. The census results have only heightened that fear. A few years ago, researchers estimated how fast the animals were reproducing, to project that about 98 hippos were living along the country’s Magdalena River and its tributaries in 20201. But the new study, for which a research t...

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Pablo Escobar’s ‘cocaine hippos’ spark conservation row

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

March 7, 2023832 Views

Researchers worry Colombian environment ministry will side with animal-rights activists rather than curb the invasive animals’ spread Colombian environment minister Susana Muhamad has triggered fear among researchers that she will protect, rather than reduce, a growing population of invasive hippos that threaten the country’s natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Although she did not directly mention the hippos — a contentious issue in Colombia — Muhamad said during a speech in late January that her ministry would create policies that prioritize animal well-being, including the creation of a new division of animal protection. The hippos escaped from drug-cartel leader Pablo Escobar’s estate after he died in 1993. Left alone, the male and three females that Escobar had illegally imp...