The Case for Hippos in Colombia

Abstract

Drug lord Pablo Escobar imported 4 Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) onto his private estate in Colombia in the 1980s. Since his arrest and assassination, the hippos have escaped the confines of the property and have begun to reproduce in the wild of Colombia. They now number approximately 60 individuals. The presence of such a large, and possibly dangerous, species in a new habitat raises several moral and ecological questions and dilemmas. It is unknown what effect these animals may have on their new environment, or the threat that they pose to the people living near them. In an effort to mitigate possible risks to the environment and local populations the Colombian government initiated an effort to castrate all males in the herd. However, it is unlikely that these efforts will be very effective in curbing the population growth of the animals. South America lost most of its large species of animals during the Quaternary Extinction and it is possible that the hippos are filling a gap that still exists in the ecology of the continent. The rewilding efforts occurring around the world aim to restore and protect natural processes and habitats by introducing (or reintroducing) apex predators or keystone species. Perhaps further research could shed light on possible positive influences that the Hippos have on the South American environment and responsible ways to avoid risks to local populations.

The role of species charisma in biological invasions

“…A small population of feral hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) currently lives in the Rio Magdalena valley in northeastern Colombia (Figure 4), and is a case of a charismatic IAS that has garnered a considerable amount of international media attention. Drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar illegally imported four hippopotamuses for the establishment of a private zoo on his estate in the early 1980s, but after his death in 1993 and subsequent forfeiture of his estate, they were allowed to roam the surrounding countryside and have been reproducing successfully ever since, with potential negative impacts on native ecosystems (Dembitzer 2017). There have been several unsuccessful attempts to control the growth of the population, which is currently estimated to consist of up to 70 individuals.…”

Deconstructing compassionate conservation

“…), compassionate conservationists advocate for the reclassification of feral cats to a native species in Australia (Wallach & Ramp ). Others promote leaving drug‐lord Pablo Escobar's introduced African hippopotamus population ( Hippopotamus amphibius ) in Colombia (Dembitzer ). The general understanding of conservation is premised on nativism—that native species are of more value to their ecosystems than non‐native species.…”

“…Despite cats (Felis catus) being present in Australia since only 1788 (Abbott 2002) and the ecological devastation this species has caused there (Woinarski et al 2015), compassionate conservationists advocate for the reclassification of feral cats to a native species in Australia . Others promote leaving drug-lord Pablo Escobar's introduced African hippopotamus population (Hippopotamus amphibius) in Colombia (Dembitzer 2017 premised on nativism-that native species are of more value to their ecosystems than non-native species. Nativism and what constitutes a native species is debated in the literature (Peretti 1998;Simberloff 2012;Wallach et al 2018a), but there is ample evidence of the ecological damage caused by non-native species, and they remain a key threat to biodiversity (Salo et al 2007).…”

Ecosystem effects of the world’s largest invasive animal

“…As no quantitative surveys have been conducted, there is no way to know whether their population is growing exponentially or what their carrying capacity in their introduced range might be. The question of whether and how to restrict their ongoing population growth is controversial, as their potential environmental impact remains unknown (Dembitzer , Lundgren et al ). The case of hippos in Colombia represents an example of a “social–ecological mismatch” (Beever et al ), where the public perception or value placed on a charismatic exotic species constrains management options for removal or containing its spread in order to mitigate its negative effects.…”