‘Cocaine Hippos’ Sterilized At Pablo Escobar’s Private Zoo
A group of cocaine Hippos is being sterilized after wreaking havoc across Colombia!
The hippos were illegally imported in for Pablo Escobar’s private zoo and since his death in 1993, they have bred and multiplied.
Officials have sterilized 24 of over 80 Hippos. They will die out naturally after they have all been completely sterilized.
Before his death, the notorious drug lord had purchased numerous animals to be brought to his ranch, including flamingos, giraffes, zebras, and kangaroos.
After his death, the Hippos were left to roam freely on his Hacienda Napoles estate, which is now a theme park. The hippos were shot with darts to inject them with a medicine called GonaCon per Cornare, which is an environmental protection organization in Colombia.
“It’s a contraceptive that is effective in males and females” a lot cheaper than surgical sterilization, said Cornare. “However, it’s complicated because experts suggest giving three doses.”
The Daily Mail reports that the Hippo herd is the largest outside of African and has been causing issues with the ecosystem as well as increased attacks on fishermen in the area.
“The presence of these animals in an ecosystem that is not their own, brings consequences such as the displacement of local fauna,” said David Echeverri, a Cornare expert.