Colombia Allocates 7.2 Billion Pesos to Cull Escobar Hippo Population

Colombia's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development approved a euthanasia protocol on 13 April 2026 to manage the hippopotamus population descended from four animals brought to the country by drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s, allocating 7.2 billion pesos through the Fund for Life and Biodiversity for implementation. The hippo population currently exceeds 200 individuals and is projected to reach 500 by 2030 and close to 1,000 by 2035 without control measures.

Hippos were officially declared an invasive alien species in Colombia in 2022 due to negative impacts on water quality and native species including manatees and river turtles. Colombia is the only country outside Africa with a wild hippo population. The animals are descended from four individuals brought by Escobar to Hacienda Napoles, a ranch in the Magdalena River valley that served as his rural residence. With no natural predators and a suitable climate, the population has grown unchecked for decades, spreading beyond the original estate and colonising new river systems.

Acting Environment Minister Irene Velez Torres described euthanasia as a technical measure based on scientific evidence to be used when translocation is not possible. The 7.2 billion peso investment will finance a comprehensive Plan for the Prevention, Control and Management of the hippopotamus covering technical protocols for population reduction and control of the animals' geographical distribution. The Ministry acknowledges that a shortfall has accumulated relative to the expert recommendation from 2022 of removing at least 33 specimens per year, and the current plan aims to address at least half of the estimated population in the immediate term.

The euthanasia protocol is the first time Colombia has formally included lethal management in its hippo control strategy, alongside translocation efforts that have moved a small number of animals to sanctuaries in other countries including India. Environmental authorities and conservation groups have debated management options for years, with translocation logistics and costs limiting the number of animals that can be moved. The Ministry frames the decision as science-led and notes that without immediate action, the rate of population growth would place exponentially greater pressure on river ecosystems and communities in the Magdalena River valley.

Key figure — 7.2 billion pesos allocated by Colombia for hippo population management