After Pablo Escobar’s Death, His Lavish Estate In Colombia Was Largely Abandoned, But His Small Herd Of Hippos Went Onto Thrive In The Country

When the leader of the Medellín cartel, Pablo Escobar, died in 1993 during a shootout with police, his estate in Colombia, known as Hacienda Nápoles, was largely abandoned.

As one of the world’s most powerful drug traffickers in the 1980s, you can imagine that his estate was nothing short of lavish. At his peak, Escobar controlled roughly 80 percent of the cocaine entering the United States. It is estimated that he had a fortune of $3 billion.

The 7.7-square-mile property that he purchased in 1978 consisted of a sculpture garden, swimming pools, artificial lakes, a car collection, and a private zoo. In his zoo, there were exotic birds, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, and a small herd of hippos with one male and three females.

After Escobar’s death, most of the animals died or were transferred to other zoos. However, the hippos were left on their own. They ended up thriving in Colombia, where they have no natural predators and don’t experience any droughts.

Currently, about 170 hippos roam northwest Colombia. These hippos are the descendants of Escobar’s original herd of “cocaine hippos.” The country has declared the hippos an invasive species, and their numbers are only growing.

By 2035, their population could reach 1,000 if the proper measures aren’t taken to control them, according to the Colombian government.

Their growth spells trouble for the environment as they compete against native species for food and unload large amounts of feces, contaminating waterways. Not only do the hippos pose potential problems for the environment, but they also could be a danger to local communities.

Apparently, the aggressive mammals have begun to attack people. Some residents who encountered hippos ended up in the hospital.

One of the animals showed up in a schoolyard at Doradal while students and their parents were present. Just 20 yards from the school, multiple hippos inhabit a lake. About 35 children play in the area, and if they make contact with the animals, a tragedy might occur.

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