A hippopotamus was run over and killed by a truck on her highway Colombiawhere this animal, “legacy» of the drug lord Pablo Escobar, considered “invasive species”, as announced by the fire department. The hippo, weighing more than a ton, was hit by the truck on the Bogota-Medellín highway in an area near an estate owned by Escobar, said Maria Magdalena Perez, the fire chief in the municipality of Puerto Triunfo.
The collision destroyed the front of the truck. Its driver was unhurt.
In the late 1980s, the drug lord, who was killed in 1993 in a shootout with the police, established a small herd of hippos on his hacienda. Over the years, the animals have reproduced even today it is estimated that around 150 hippos live in the area.
it’s not the first time that there is a traffic accident with a hippopotamus in Colombia. In December a car collided with an animal, no one was injured. The hippo came out unscathed.
In 2022 the Ministry of the Environment labeled the hippopotamus “invasive species”, paving the way for possible hunting of the animals. He also attempted, unsuccessfully, to implement a sterilization program. Experts estimate that their uncontrolled reproduction poses a threat to the local flora and fauna. In March, the governor of Antioch province announced a plan based on which almost half of the hippos will be taken to sanctuaries in Mexico and India – an operation estimated to cost $3.5 million.
Source: News Beast
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