Cocaine Hippos

The hippopotamuses in Columbia are called Cocaine Hippos.

History behind the name

The Cocaine Hippos are introduced species in Columbia. They were introduced by a Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar. He brought four hippopotamuses in a private menagerie to his residence in Medellin, Columbia. Menagerie is a group of captive animals. They were named cocaine hippos as they were illegally brought to Columbia. Also, the National Geographic created a documentary on these hippos in the name “Cocaine Hippos”.

Population Explosion of Cocaine Hippos

The hippos couldn’t be seized and moved after the death of Escobar. Thus, they were left untended on the estate. The animals had multiplied to 16 by 2007. They then began to roam in the nearby Magdalena River. By 2014, there were 40 hippos in the region. It is expected that the population will soon increase to 200. In few decades their numbers will increase to thousands. This population explosion is mainly due to their early sexual maturity.

Concerns

The Cocaine hippos are non-native species. Thus, they have now become an invasive species. Invasive species are those species that cause ecological harm to a new environment. They are feeding heavily on the vegetation in the region and are displacing native species. They are now considered a great threat to the natural forest ecosystem of Columbia. The Government of Columbia has been looking for ways to control their population explosion.

Cocaine Hippos: Gonacon vaccine

The Gonacon vaccine is an immune contraceptive vaccine. This vaccine has been used as a birth control measure among the cocaine hippos. Earlier castration of the hippos was suggested. However, it is expensive and time consuming. Thus, these contraceptive vaccines were used.