Pablo Escobar’s hippos have been legally declared as people in the United States. The animals are the first in the country’s history.
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The declaration was made by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio after recognizing the 100 hippos as people. Reportedly, the decision was made to save the animals as officials in Colombia were planning to kill the animals since 2009. A lawsuit on behalf of the hippos was filed by attorney Luis Domingo Gómez Maldonado in July to save them from being killed and argued that sterilization would be a more humane option.
According to UPI, the animals were illegally purchased by the late drug kingpin until his death in 1993.
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The Animal Defense League applied on behalf of the hippos in Ohio and asked two wildlife experts in the state to provide testimony about the sterilize.
“Animals have the right to be free from cruelty and exploitation, and the failure of U.S. courts to recognize their rights impedes the ability to enforce existing legislative protections.”