A famous "cocaine hippo" belonging to Pablo Escobar attempted to flee its captivity and, unfortunately, died in the process.
The incident occurred when the massive animal broke free from its enclosure located on the former drug lord's estate, and made its way onto a busy highway connecting Medellin to the Colombian capital, Bogota.
A Renault Duster SUV collided with the hippo, resulting in the animal's death and significant damage to the SUV's hood. The two individuals inside the vehicle were transported to a medical facility for treatment, but fortunately, did not sustain any major injuries.
The fatal incident occurred near the Napoles Estate, located in the Puerto Triunfo municipality of the Antioquia Department.
This area was once a refuge for Pablo Escobar. According to early reports of the accident, the animal involved was believed to be one of four hippos imported from Africa by the former head of the Medellin cartel.
Escobar had intended to use the animals as part of a lavish safari park located on his estate, which was funded by profits from his illegal drug operations in the late 1970s and 1980s.
After the death of Pablo Escobar in December 1993, the hippos he had imported were deemed too challenging to move due to their size and were left on his property. Over time, the animals began to breed and quickly multiplied, ultimately becoming a threat to the ecosystem of Colombia. These giant mammals, not native to South America and with no natural predators in the region, were able to thrive without facing any significant challenges to their population growth.
As a result of Pablo Escobar's unusual import, there are now over 150 hippos residing in Colombia. The animals were officially classified as an invasive species by the Colombian Ministry of Environment in March of last year. In an effort to control their population, ten of the hippos were transported to Mexico, and an additional 60 were sent to India. Hippos are notoriously aggressive animals and can become territorial when they feel threatened. They have a reputation for attacking humans who venture too close. In fact, hippos are responsible for causing at least 500 deaths annually worldwide.
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