He has learned to live with them, but he is concerned about a government plan that could cause them harm.
Puerto Triunfo residents have become accustomed to the herds of hippopotamuses that descend from a few illegally imported from Africa in 1980s by the flamboyant drug lord Pablo Escobar. His former ranch is also nearby.
Molina, 57 years old, claims he supports so-called “cocaine Hippos” even though he was one of few Colombians who has been attacked by one. One day, he was fishing when a movement under his canoe shook him and he fell into the water.
He said, “The female attacked me once – the first pair that arrived” because she had just given birth.
According to Carlos Eduardo Correa, Environment Minister, the Colombian government will sign a document declaring hippos as an exotic invasive species within weeks. The government must devise a plan to manage their population of 130, which is expected to reach 400 within eight years, if nothing else is done. They thrive in Colombia’s rivers.
According to Manuel Bojorquez , CBS News’ correspondent for CBS News, the area they roam is a haven for animals that are free from predators and have plenty of food and water. Bojorquez was told by a local biologist that they are “village pets” but that they are “dangerous” as well as “territorial”.
Correa stated that many strategies are currently being considered, but no decision has been made. He said that any plan to reduce the population of hippos will be discussed with local communities.
He said, “They talk about sterilization, castration, and taking the lives of some hippopotamuses.” “What matters is the scientific and technical rigor that the decisions are made.”
Interviewees in Puerto Triunfo (120 miles from Bogota) said they could get along with hippos. Many also opposed sterilization.
“They make laws at a distance. Isabel Romero Jerez, local conservationist, said that they live here with the hippopotamuses and have never considered killing them. “The hippopotamuses in Colombia aren’t Africans now, they are Colombians.”
After the Colombian government had been sued for its plans to sterilize or kill the animals in October, a federal judge ruled the hippos could be considered people or “interested persons” and have legal rights in the U.S. A legal expert stated that the order is not valid in Colombia, where the hippos are found.
The ruling will have no effect in Colombia, as they only impact their territories. Camilo Burbano Cifuentes is a professor of criminal law at the Universidad Externado de Colombia.
Escobar’s Hacienda Napoles and the hippos have been a tourist attraction since 1993, when the kingpin was shot to death by police. The hippos survived the abandonment of his ranch and continued to reproduce in favorable climates and rivers. A decade ago, they began to appear around Puerto Triunfo.
Scientists warn that the hippos are not a natural predator in Colombia. They pose a threat to biodiversity as their feces alter the river composition and can impact the habitats of manatees, capybaras and other wildlife.
Alexander Von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute conducted an analysis and concluded that climate change and “an improvement in equatorial circumstances, the ideal climate of the species”, could increase the hippopotamus’ dispersion throughout Colombia. This could potentially increase competition for resources and possibly “overlapping with the ecological and geographic niches of native species.”
Because they are mostly herbivores, Hippopotamuses can cause crop damage.
Although hippos are one of the most dangerous African animals, only a handful of injuries have been reported in this area.
“I don’t consider them to be a threat but there are problems with them. Carmen Montano, a representative of Puerto Triunfo’s Municipal Agricultural Technical Assistance Unit, said that there have been three attacks on the civilian population in the municipality.
According to locals, hippos can sometimes walk through the streets and come out of water. Traffic stops when that happens and people stay clear of them.
Romero Jerez said, “The human animal invades their territory. That is why they feel threatened or attacked.” “Human beings must be careful, respectful, and keep their distance.”
Scientists warn that hippos can be territorial and can weigh up to 3 tons.
Daniel Cadena is a biologist at the Universidad de Los Andes and dean for sciences. He said that they are aggressive and not as gentle and kind as people think.
He said that “hippopotamus kills more people in Africa each year than lions and crocodiles together.”
The document declaring them an invading species in Colombia will be signed. Hippopotamuses join other species like the coqui frog and black tilapia, as well as species such the giant African snail, black tilapia, lionfish, and coqui frog. This declaration will enable the government to allot resources to manage the hippo population which is one of the biggest obstacles.
An experimental program for immuno-castration is being developed using a drug that was donated by the United States. They must be sedated, transported to safety and their thick skin cut.
Cadena stated that Hippopotamuses don’t have what is known as obvious sexual dimorphism. It is hard to tell if an animal belongs to a male or female… the genitals of the hippopotamuses are internal.”
Because of the need to find the hippos scattered along Magdalena River, any population control effort is likely to be expensive and complicated.
