• Latest
  • Trending
Colombia, Pablo Escobar’s hippos are a coincidence. “Ecosystem at risk”

Colombia, Pablo Escobar’s hippos are a coincidence. “Ecosystem at risk”

February 3, 2020
Explore Breathtaking Destinations of Russia by Booking Tours with the BLOYD App by Alexander Komaritsyn

Explore Breathtaking Destinations of Russia by Booking Tours with the BLOYD App by Alexander Komaritsyn

January 13, 2023
Here Is How Sammy Gerb Built a Strong Connection with Her Followers through TikTok

Here Is How Sammy Gerb Built a Strong Connection with Her Followers through TikTok

January 13, 2023
Music Instructor Sean Wilson Highlights the Importance of Ear Training for Aspiring Musicians

Music Instructor Sean Wilson Highlights the Importance of Ear Training for Aspiring Musicians

January 13, 2023
Inspiring Icon Namita Tiwari Reveals How to Level Up Your Marketing Game by Investing in Personal Development, Public Speaking and Knowledge Sharing

Inspiring Icon Namita Tiwari Reveals How to Level Up Your Marketing Game by Investing in Personal Development, Public Speaking and Knowledge Sharing

January 5, 2023
How to Unleash Your Inner Potential and Accelerate Your Career

How to Unleash Your Inner Potential and Accelerate Your Career

January 2, 2023
A Passion for Surgery and Serving Humanity Inspired Dr. Ravi Shankar to Pursue Excellence in Cancer Care and Treatment

A Passion for Surgery and Serving Humanity Inspired Dr. Ravi Shankar to Pursue Excellence in Cancer Care and Treatment

January 2, 2023
Chuong Charlie Pham’s Journey From a Poor Immigrant to a Millionaire

Chuong Charlie Pham’s Journey From a Poor Immigrant to a Millionaire

December 29, 2022
How Approval Nation Inc., Founded by Jay Modi, Emerged as One of the Most Successful Enterprises in Canada

How Approval Nation Inc., Founded by Jay Modi, Emerged as One of the Most Successful Enterprises in Canada

December 28, 2022
From Living In a Warehouse to Starting His Own Property Investment Firm, Jacob Moore Has Come a Long Way

From Living In a Warehouse to Starting His Own Property Investment Firm, Jacob Moore Has Come a Long Way

December 23, 2022
The Self-Made Fitness Guru Roxy Herring’s Inspiring Fitness Journey

The Self-Made Fitness Guru Roxy Herring’s Inspiring Fitness Journey

December 20, 2022
Tips on How to Overcome Trolling, Insecurities, and False Accusations

Tips on How to Overcome Trolling, Insecurities, and False Accusations

December 19, 2022
Meet Jessie Eccles – Poised to Teach Others How to Unleash Their Inner Potential and Find a Way Back to Their Soul

Meet Jessie Eccles – Poised to Teach Others How to Unleash Their Inner Potential and Find a Way Back to Their Soul

December 19, 2022
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Subscription
Advertise
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Lifestyle
  • Socail Media
  • Health
  • Tech
No Result
View All Result
Cross Fork News
No Result
View All Result

Colombia, Pablo Escobar’s hippos are a coincidence. “Ecosystem at risk”

by Damian Jackson
February 3, 2020
in News
0

The Colombian government is trying to figure out whether the animals of the former drug lord are a problem or a resource

The hippos that belonged to Pablo Escobar are today at the centre of a heated debate between scientists and environmentalists in Colombia. In fact, when the drug lord was killed, in 1993, the Colombian government took possession of his princely estate, in the north-west of the country, which included also a zoo: most of the animals present were relocated elsewhere, but not four hippopotamuses, which were left to move freely in the area. Now it is estimated that their number has reached a few dozen and it is debated whether they represent a potential risk to the ecosystem, or an advantage.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Erik Allen Shares How He Helps Entrepreneurs Get Known & Noticed Online

Award-Winning Business Innovator Lee Richter Continues to Inspire People Through Her Success

Escobar’s hippopotamuses
Over the years, the four hippos have moved along the banks of the Magdalena River, Colombia’s main waterway, and have reproduced. To calculate the exact number is impossible, but experts estimate that the population includes between 80 and 100 specimens, that it is growing exponentially and that “within a couple of decades, it could reach the thousand” (words of Jonathan Shurin, of the University of San Diego).

Why they are a problem
The hippopotamus is an African herbivorous mammal, so its presence in Colombia is not natural. This is what is worrying the Colombian authorities, because Escobar’s animals directly threaten endemic species such as otters and manatees, they modify the chemical composition of the river (they feed on the grass they find on the shore, but defecate in the water) and finally they alter the conformation of the wetlands creating water flow channels simply by moving their heavy bodies. Not to mention the potential risk to humans: hippos are very territorial and attack intruders with great violence.

What to do?
The solution to the problem is not easy: the killing of hippos is not seen favourably by environmentalists, who would prefer to resort to sterilization or relocation to new zoos. But these two hypotheses clash with the fact that the animals are very dangerous, precisely because they are territorial, aggressive and surprisingly quick, despite their size. Approaching them to sedate and castrate them is a dangerous, difficult and expensive activity. Adjectives that also apply to movement in zoos: net of the risks, it is estimated that about 4 thousand euros are needed for the relocation of each specimen.

But what if nothing is done?
Scientists are wondering what the real impact of hippos on the local ecosystem is. Their presence undoubtedly has consequences, nobody is arguing about that, but the question is how significant they are. A study, recently published in Ecology, shows that they are not at all dramatic.

Just taking advantage of these data, there are those who hypothesize that the presence of hippopotamuses can be positive. The nerve centre of the discussion is that these animals could replace the great herbivores that have become extinct in Colombia over the centuries.

So, yes, the chemical composition of the water changes, some fish could pay the price and so could otters and manatees. But all this could be accompanied by the creation of different river habitats (those inhabited by hippos and those that are not), with a consequent increase in biodiversity. Precisely for these reasons the Colombian Environmental Agency is monitoring the situation closely, using experts, in order to understand how to move in the medium-long term.

ShareTweetShare

Search

No Result
View All Result

Recent News

Explore Breathtaking Destinations of Russia by Booking Tours with the BLOYD App by Alexander Komaritsyn

Explore Breathtaking Destinations of Russia by Booking Tours with the BLOYD App by Alexander Komaritsyn

January 13, 2023
Here Is How Sammy Gerb Built a Strong Connection with Her Followers through TikTok

Here Is How Sammy Gerb Built a Strong Connection with Her Followers through TikTok

January 13, 2023
Music Instructor Sean Wilson Highlights the Importance of Ear Training for Aspiring Musicians

Music Instructor Sean Wilson Highlights the Importance of Ear Training for Aspiring Musicians

January 13, 2023
Cross Fork News

Cross Fork News works as an independent organization dedicated to cater to national and international trending news stories. It aims to be a one stop resource for all kinds of news stories from around the world.

Recent News

  • Explore Breathtaking Destinations of Russia by Booking Tours with the BLOYD App by Alexander Komaritsyn
  • Here Is How Sammy Gerb Built a Strong Connection with Her Followers through TikTok
  • Music Instructor Sean Wilson Highlights the Importance of Ear Training for Aspiring Musicians

Newsletters

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Services
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Editorial Policy
    • Our Team

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • News
    • Politics
    • Lifestyle
    • Socail Media
    • Health
    • Tech