The African cheetah may soon see some competition, from an even more exotic guest with a backstory that is the subject of a globally-watched TV series. But, let’s begin at the beginning. In the late 1980s, Pablo Escobar — the founder and leader of the Medellin Cartel in Colombia – had more money, power and impunity than he knew what to do with. Among his many extravagances were a few hippopotami he had brought in from Africa — the pièce de résistance in his collection of exotic animals. After his death in 1993, four of the hippos escaped and have since multiplied. The Colombian authorities have now decided to relocate 70 of these animals – and 60 are reportedly going to come to India.
Hippos, even when they are not associated with cocaine, power and the opulent excesses of drug lords, are fascinating creatures. Massive, semi-aquatic herbivores, they have often been posited as a “missing link” between land-based and marine mammals (whales, seals, etc). And, despite looking like sedate, cuddly vegetarians, they are anything but. Fiercely territorial, in their native Africa, they are known to kill creatures as massive as the Nile crocodile and kill more humans than any large carnivore on the continent.
