environment
May 6, 2026
This would be the costly logistics that Indian billionaire would use to take Pablo Escobar's hippos
The hippos in Colombia have generated an environmental emergency. Photo: Guillermo Ossa - El Tiempo
TL;DR
- Indian billionaire Anant Ambani plans to relocate 80 Colombian hippos to his private zoo, Vantara, in India.
- The operation involves a 15,000 km aerial journey with an estimated cost of three million dollars.
- Logistics include preparing hippos without anesthesia, specialized transport crates, and a 33-hour flight to Jamnagar, India.
- The success hinges on complex permits from the Indian and Colombian governments and CITES.
- Vantara faces scrutiny over past accusations of poor practices and illegal wildlife trafficking, although a lawsuit was dismissed.
- Critics question the cost and prioritization of relocating hippos versus domestic conservation efforts in India.
- Colombian authorities aim to reduce the hippo population due to environmental risks to native ecosystems and potential danger to communities.