Hacienda Nápoles

Hacienda Nápoles was a private zoo established in Colombia by drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s. After Escobar's death, the estate was abandoned, and the hippopotamuses he imported escaped and began to reproduce in the wild. These hippos have become an invasive species, displacing native wildlife and posing a threat to local communities. The Colombian government has struggled to control their population growth. Recently, the Colombian government announced a plan to euthanize approximately 80 of these hippos in the second half of this year, due to the failure of previous, more expensive methods like neutering. This decision highlights the ongoing challenges of managing the ecological consequences of Escobar's legacy and the complexities of dealing with invasive species.