Pablo Escobar Hippos

Colombia will cull some of the 166 hippos descended from a small herd imported by drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s, the country's environment minister said Thursday.

Colombian officials are being urged to act against an invasive hippo population introduced by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

Moving the hippos to the new location is an operation costing $500,000 and has been financed by conservationist Ernesto Zazueta.

Colombia said Wednesday it was making progress on the transfer of 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries, but mitigating the havoc caused by this unusual legacy of deceased druglord Pablo Escobar carries a hefty price tag: $3.5 million.

Seventy hippopotamuses will be translocated from Colombia - 60 to India and 10 to Mexico.

In a first, a US court has recognized animals as legal persons -- specifically, the descendants of Pablo Escobar's hippopotamuses who have thrived in Colombia since the notorious drug lord was killed almost 30 years ago.

Colombia will cull some of the 166 hippos descended from a small herd imported by drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s, the country's environment minister said Thursday.

Colombian officials are being urged to act against an invasive hippo population introduced by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

Moving the hippos to the new location is an operation costing $500,000 and has been financed by conservationist Ernesto Zazueta.

Colombia said Wednesday it was making progress on the transfer of 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries, but mitigating the havoc caused by this unusual legacy of deceased druglord Pablo Escobar carries a hefty price tag: $3.5 million.

Seventy hippopotamuses will be translocated from Colombia - 60 to India and 10 to Mexico.

In a first, a US court has recognized animals as legal persons -- specifically, the descendants of Pablo Escobar's hippopotamuses who have thrived in Colombia since the notorious drug lord was killed almost 30 years ago.