An Indian multimillionaire offers to 'save' the 80 hippos of Pablo Escobar

Indian multimillionaire Anant Ambani, son of the richest man in Asia, has proposed to the Colombian government to take away the eighty hippopotamuses of Pablo Escobar. This invasive species was introduced to the country by the drug trafficker, and Bogota has authorized their sacrifice to control their growth. The magnate has offered to take the specimens to his own wildlife rescue center in western India.

"These eighty hippos did not choose where they were born, nor did they create the circumstances they now face. They are living, sentient beings, and if we have the possibility to save them through a safe and humane solution, we have the responsibility to try," Ambani said in a statement.

The magnate, director of the Reliance Industries business empire, proposes that the hippos be transferred to the Vantara conservation center in the state of Gujarat, where primates, big cats, elephants, and other rescued animals already live.

Colombia has been debating for years what to do with the nearly 200 wild hippos that inhabit the banks of the Magdalena River in central Colombia, after four specimens of this invasive species were introduced into the country by Pablo Escobar in the 1980s.

In mid-April, the Colombian Ministry of Environment announced that it would euthanize eighty of these animals to curb reproduction that, uncontrolled, could increase the population to one thousand specimens by 2035. The decision came after no country agreed to receive the hippos, according to Minister Irene Vélez.

"Compassion and public safety are not opposing forces. With sound science and careful planning, it is possible to preserve ecosystems and save animal life. Vantara has the experience, infrastructure, and determination needed to support this effort, on the terms Colombia requires," states the Indian billionaire. Colombian authorities and experts warn that the presence of hippos puts aquatic ecosystems at risk, especially native species like the manatee. As they are territorial and aggressive animals, they also pose a risk to riverside communities, according to a 2022 report by the Humboldt Institute.