Colombia to Sterilize, Export, and Euthanize Wild Hippos Descended from Pablo Escobar's Pets to Control Population

Escalating danger posed by hippos prompts Colombia's Environment minister to implement costly sterilization protocols, negotiate exportation to Mexico, India, and the Philippines, and establish euthanasia criteria as backup.

The burgeoning hippo population, originally owned by the late narcotics baron Pablo Escobar, has resulted in an escalated danger to the Colombian ecosystem due to unchecked breeding and a lack of natural predators.
Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad confirmed a costly sterilization plan would start next week with around 20 to 40 hippos being sterilized each year at a cost of about $9,800 per animal.
Additionally, the government is negotiating the export of these wild hippos to countries such as Mexico, India, and the Philippines, with plans to send around 60 hippos to India currently being evaluated.
A backup plan involving euthanasia is drafted as a last resort to control this invasive species, although the government has not specified the scale of this potential cull.
Animal activists and scientists express concern over the sterilization strategy, noting not only the potential suffering of the animals and in-field dangers to the veterinarians but also the inadequacy of sterilization as the sole mitigation strategy.