Brought into the country in the 1980s by former drug-trafficking capo Pablo Escobar, the 133 hippopotamuses already in Colombia might reach over 400 by the year 2030, and have thus been declared an invasive species Friday.
Hippopotamuses are increasing in Colombia despite being an alien species in South America. Their existence in the country began with the import of four individuals by drug lord Pablo Escobar. The four hippopotamuses later escaped into the wild.