environment
April 30, 2026
Will India receive 80 hippos from Colombia? This is how the plan is progressing
Colombia has initiated an international procedure to attempt to relocate part of the hippopotamus population currently inhabiting the Magdalena River basin. The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development confirmed that it submitted a formal request to the administrative authority of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in India, to determine if that country authorizes the entry of 80 specimens.
TL;DR
- Colombia has initiated an international procedure to relocate 80 hippos to India.
- The request was formally submitted to India's CITES authority.
- The Vantara center, owned by Indian businessman Anant Mukesh Ambani, has expressed interest in receiving the hippos.
- This action is part of Colombia's plan to manage the invasive hippopotamus population.
- Hippos were declared an invasive species in Colombia in March 2022 due to their impact on ecosystems.
- The transfer is subject to international protocols and government-to-government authorization.