Columbia’s Cocaine Hippos problem may just be a tip of an iceberg
New York
The problem of drug lord Pablo Escobar-introduced Cocaine Hippos may just be bigger than what the Columbia government is thinking.
Their number as predicted by wildlife experts might not be accurate as a new study projected the number of invasive species at 180-215.
The Columbia government has estimated the Cocaine Hippos number at 91 in Magdalena River and it is being termed as the biggest after its native African continent.
A research team led by Amanda L Sabulusky has numbered the invasive species in person by way of drone and other tracking methods.
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The study pegs the annual reproduction of the species by the rate of 9.6% and estimates that the number will grow to 230 in 2030 and 1,000 by 2050.
The reproduction will pose huge financial as well as social and ecological risks for the country and the experts have called on the government to take immediate remedial steps.
“Even if the government uses current population control measures that cost around 1-2 million US dollars, there still may be hippos for the next 50-100 years,” the study claims.
It is worth mentioning here that all the Cocaine hippos in Columbia are the progeny of three female and one male hippo, that were imported by Pablo Escobar.
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After his death, these hippos reportedly escaped from the farmhouse and made Magdalena River its habitat. These have multiplied rapidly and are now causing various issues for the local government as well as its residents and ecology.
