Pablo Escobar's hippos continue to harm aquatic life in Colombia

In the 1980s, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar built an illegal zoo in his estate. His love for exotic animals drove him to keep all kinds of animals at this 'zoo'. These animals included rhinos, giraffes, zebras and hippos. After the drug lord's death in 1993, most of the animals from his illegal zoo were shifted to actual zoos. All except four hippos.

Hippos are an 'invasive species'

While all the other animals were transported to different zoos, it was just not possible or feasible to relocate the four hippos. As a result, the four hippos began living beside the Magdalena river. Over the years the hippos have multiplied among themselves and their numbers have risen to 80.

According to reports from a team of researchers hailing from the University of California in San Diego and the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, the hippos have become an invasive species and are wreaking havoc on the aquatic ecosystem there. 

According to the study the team published in the journal Ecology, the hippos excrete very large amounts of waste into the lakes that have been changing the water's chemistry and oxygen levels. The excreted waste acts as a fertilizer for algae and bacteria that flourishes and as a result reduces the available oxygen for aquatic life.

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According to the lead author of the study, Jonathan Shurin, the hippo population could have a big impact on the ecosystem in their native Africa. The study warned that if the hippo population rose in the next few years then other aquatic lifeforms like turtles could be harmed.

Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord and a narcoterrorist who founded and was the leader of the  Medellín Cartel. He was dubbed 'The King of Cocaine' and is reportedly the wealthiest criminal in history. It is believed that he amassed an estimated net worth of US$30 billion by the time of his death in 1993.

The Medellín Cartel, distributed powder cocaine through the first established smuggling routes into the US. Escobar consistently battled with rival cartels both domestically and abroad. His feuds made Colombia the murder capital of the world.

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