environment
April 26, 2026
These are the obstacles to the plan to hunt hippos in Magdalena Medio
The announcement of the euthanasia or control hunt of 80 hippos this year has unleashed a national uproar. However, executing the measure faces critical obstacles...
TL;DR
- The plan to euthanize 80 hippos in Colombia faces obstacles including lack of inter-agency coordination, high costs, and technical difficulties.
- The Ministry of Environment's decision surprised regional corporations, and population estimates differ, hindering effective intervention.
- The allocated budget of $7.2 billion is considered insufficient by experts, and there are questions about the fund's origin.
- Previous control measures like sterilization and immunocastration have had limited success, intervening only 75 animals.
- The hippo population, originating from four introduced by Pablo Escobar, has grown to about 200, posing environmental and safety risks.
- The invasive species are altering ecosystems by transforming forested areas into wetlands and causing eutrophication.
- Lawsuits have been filed to halt the euthanasia, arguing for the hippos' rights as sentient beings, though legal grounds are debated.
- Physical manifestations of inbreeding, such as snout deformities and skin spots, are beginning to appear in the hippo population.