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Sputnik International
Scientists are worried about former drug lord Pablo Escobar’s hippopotamuses wreaking havoc in Colombia.
The “cocaine hippos” in question were brought to the country illegally by Escobar, who was shot dead by authorities in 1993, as reported by the Telegraph. Now, scientists fear that Escobar’s hippos may end up sharing the same fate as their owner if their numbers are not controlled.
The hippos have bred rapidly over time, and are now considered the largest invasive species on our planet. Over the next two decades, their numbers could reach alarming levels. And scientists fear that the only way to deal with the influx is by killing them.
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar bought 4 hippos from California zoo in the early 1980s
They were known as his cocaine hippos because of the kingpin s love of buying exotic animals with his ill-gotten gains
In the years after his death in 1993 four escaped the compound
But decades later they are 100-strong herd that rampage his former village
Their toxic urine and faeces are killing wildlife, say eco-experts
They are now the largest invasive species in the world with largest, wild hippo population outside of Africa
By 2040 numbers could rise to 1,500, making their environmental impact irreversible and their numbers impossible to control, a new study has claimed