Pablo Escobar Hippo Calves Snatched From Their Mums To Be Flogged On Black Market

Residents of a rural region of Colombia have been accused by the authorities of stealing the offspring of Pablo Escobar’s hippos and flogging them on the black market.

According to the local authorities, residents in the Colombian subregion of Magdalena Medio Antioquia have been stealing the calves from their parents from lagoons in and around the area.

The spots where the alleged thefts have been taking place include Doradal and Puerto Boyaca, according to Blu Radio.

A small hippo playing with a dog in Doradal, Colombia. (Newsflash)

The hippos are the descendants of specimens that Pablo Escobar illegally imported to his rural ranch in the 1980s, during his heyday at the helm of Colombia’s drug trade.

After he was shot dead by the authorities in 1993, the so-called ‘cocaine hippos’ were left to their fate, actually increasing in number and reportedly causing damage in the area.

According to El Tiempo, the trafficking of such animals is a lucrative business, with one such calf reportedly fetching COP 6 million (GBP 1,120).

The lake near Hacienda Napoles, Colombia, where Jhon Aristides Saldarriaga Marquez, 31, was attacked by a hippo, on 31st October. (Newsflash)

This is a significant sum for Colombian rustics, who typically earn less than the national average wage of COP 4.69 million per month (GBP 872).

El Tiempo also reported that some rural residents are keeping the calves in their own homes while they seek out potential buyers.

The practice is not only illegal but also dangerous, as adult hippopotamuses are protective of their offspring and react aggressively when they perceive their calves to be threatened.

A small hippo in Doradal, Colombia. (Newsflash)

This was highlighted by the case of John Saldarriaga, who was attacked by a specimen while fishing this October, and left requiring medical treatment for injuries to his left arm, chest and head.

David Echeverri Lopez of the ‘Cornare’ Forests and Biodiversity Group said that he has filed a report with the police over the practice.

He was quoted as saying: “As we can see, it is complex to handle, because they are situations that occur clandestinely. It is very worrying because we do not know where they are taking these animals to.”