Colombia begins mass sterilization of hippos

Animals imported illegally from another continent can cause an environmental disaster.

Sterilization of animals is very important today. But if it has become commonplace for us to carry out such operations with cats and dogs, then in distant Colombia the authorities decided not to waste time on trifles. The South American country has begun a program to sterilize hippopotamuses.

Recently, information appeared that Colombians are seriously taking up the problem of growing hippopotamus populations in the country. It turns out that the record-breaking “heavyweights” of terrestrial mammals are reproducing too actively. And this creates an environmental threat.

The three-ton animals are lovers of water treatments, have a very good appetite, and at the same time very actively pollute everything around them with waste from their vital activity. As a result, many other species of animals and fish living in rivers and lakes suffer from the hippopotamus’ “tyranny.”

A herd of Colombian hippopotamuses appeared due to the whim of the head of the Medellin drug cartel, Pablo Escobar. The famous drug lord wanted to have such exotic animals in his possession, and back in the 1980s he ordered the illegal import of several hippos from Africa for his personal zoo. But in 1993, after the death of the crime boss, Escobar’s hippos found themselves without proper supervision. The male and three females managed to escape to freedom. The conditions of the wild Colombian nature turned out to be to their liking. Animals began to actively reproduce. At last count, there are now about a hundred “cocaine” hippopotamuses “freely grazing.” Experts have calculated that if no measures are taken, by 2040 their population will increase to one and a half thousand specimens.

Plans to stop the further proliferation of giant “aliens” in Colombia by shooting them have sparked violent protests. The only alternative to this is sterilization

Current reports mention sterilization procedures for 24 animals. For this purpose, chemical castration is used – special drugs that the Colombian authorities had to specially purchase abroad.