The World’s Only Wild Hippos Outside Africa Are Dividing a Nation

Few wildlife dilemmas in the world are as layered and heartbreaking as the one unfolding in Colombia right now. Descended from four animals brought to the country by Pablo Escobar in the 1980s for his private zoo, a population of hippopotamuses has grown to over 200 individuals roaming the Magdalena River valley — and without intervention, researchers warn that number could swell to nearly 1,000 by 2035.

According to CNN, Colombian Environment Minister Irene Vélez recently authorized a plan to cull up to 80 hippos, calling it a last resort after years of failed attempts at sterilization and relocation. No country in the world has agreed to accept even a single animal, leaving Colombian officials feeling trapped between protecting their environment and managing a growing crisis with no clean solution.

The stakes for Colombia’s native ecosystem are real. These large mammals compete directly with vulnerable species like river manatees for food and territory, and they have been encountered by villagers on farms and in waterways over 60 miles from where they first escaped captivity. The planet is the only place outside Africa where wild hippos exist, making Colombia’s situation genuinely unprecedented.

Yet the voices of activist groups and Animal rights advocates deserve to be heard in this conversation. Senator Andrea Padilla, who helped ban bullfighting in Colombia, has spoken out forcefully against the cull, arguing that these creatures are innocent victims of human negligence rather than perpetrators deserving punishment. Many Colombians share that feeling, especially in communities where hippo spotting tours have become a beloved local tradition and economic lifeline.

This crisis is ultimately a sobering reminder of what happens when humans introduce non-native species into fragile ecosystems for personal vanity. The hippos did not choose to be here. Demanding that advocacy organizations, governments, and international wildlife bodies work harder on relocation and creative contraception programs before bullets become the answer is not naive — it is necessary. Colombia’s hippos deserve every possible effort before the world gives up on them.

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