After forcibly sterilizing and spending $3.7 million to relocate 70 of them in 2023, Colombia still grapples with the legacy of drug lord Pablo Escobar's hippos!
So, someone suggested: why not eat them?
"Eating hippos" sounds odd, but historically, America did entertain the idea of raising hippos for consumption. In other words, hippos almost became America's main source of meat.
In 1884, the water hyacinth captured the hearts of locals at an exhibition in New Orleans, becoming the most beloved cultivated plant.
However, this plant originated from South America and was an alien species to the United States. Thriving in its new exotic environment, within less than 20 years, the water hyacinth transitioned from a cultivated plant to a troublesome invasive species.
By 1910, American cities were experiencing explosive growth, leading to a shortage of affordable meat and plunging the nation into a "meat crisis."
So, someone proposed: Why not establish hippopotamus farms to address the meat shortage?
Louisiana's Broussard emerged as the primary advocate, articulating the "Hippo Ranch" project during a meeting on March 24, 1910. He viewed hippo farming as a dual-purpose endeavor: firstly, to mitigate the proliferation of water hyacinths by having hippos consume them, and secondly, to capitalize on the substantial size of hippos, averaging 1.5 tons in weight, with a high meat yield.
To bolster his case, he enlisted the support of three experts:
In light of these endorsements, The New York Times delicately referred to hippo meat as "lake cow bacon"!
In history, this bill was known as the "American Hippo Bill," with supporters believing that by passing this bill and investing $250,000, the United States would avoid a situation where meat was scarce.
At the time, there were many supporters of this bill, but ultimately it was shelved and not implemented.
This was because scientists refuted Owen's claims, arguing that water hyacinth, being high in water content and low in nutritional value, would be more like a weight-loss meal for hippos and not something they would enjoy.
Moreover, despite their seemingly docile appearance, hippos are actually very dangerous and difficult to tame.
Indeed, from today's perspective, it's fortunate that the United States did not agree to raise hippos.
Otherwise, it could have become the first country to establish hippo ranches and also the first country to face hippo-related issues spiraling out of control.
Colombia, currently grappling with hippo-related challenges, serves as the best example of this predicament.
From 4 to over 100, the unchecked legacy of drug lord Pablo Escobar's hippos is causing headaches in Colombia!
In the 1980s, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar imported four hippos from Africa to reside in his private zoo.
After his death in 1993, these four hippos, one male and three females, were released in place due to their large size and difficulty in transportation, left to grow and breed in the wild.
In Colombia, where there are no natural predators for hippos, ample rainfall and abundant food supply have led to rapid growth and astonishing reproduction rates among these hippos.
Typically, male African hippos don't reach reproductive age until they're nine years old, but in Colombia, they become "dads" as early as three, at least six years earlier than usual.
With unchecked breeding, the hippo population continues to grow rapidly.
In 1993, there were 4 hippos; by 2007, they increased to 16. In 2014, the count reached 40, and by 2019, it was estimated to be 120. By 2023, the number was nearly 200. At this rate, it's projected to surpass 1000 by 2035.
Efforts to control the hippo population have largely failed.
Culling was attempted in 2009 when a hippo named Pepe was killed by hunters due to its mischievous behavior. However, protests from both domestic and international animal protection organizations, as well as local residents who found hippos "adorable," led to the termination of the culling program.
Sterilization was initially done through traditional means of capture and castration, but it was halted due to high costs – reportedly $50,000 per hippo.
Chemical sterilization began in 2021, using vaccines to render hippos infertile. However, this initiative faced significant opposition and was eventually discontinued.
In March 2023, Colombia, in an effort to relieve pressure, had to resort to "giving away hippos," spending at least $3.5 million to transport 70 hippos, which were relocated to India and Mexico.
Later in November, it was announced that 40 hippos would be sterilized annually, with an estimated cost of $10,000 per hippo.
Despite these efforts to manage the situation meticulously, as of 2024, there are still 169 hippos roaming about.
These hippos dominate the major rivers, constantly feeding and defecating.
Their greatest ecological threat lies in the copious amounts of feces they deposit into the water, leading to harmful algal blooms and mass aquatic die-offs.
Simultaneously, hippos frequently encroach into human territories, displaying aggressive behavior towards humans.
Local residents are understandably fearful and hope that the relevant authorities can resolve the issue promptly, as nobody wants an "uncontrolled" and "aggressive" large animal roaming near their homes.
In the end, the United States dodged a bullet by giving up on hippo farming.
Colombia now has a situation akin to having a bunch of ancestors to appease; killing them is out of the question due to protests and lawsuits, managing them is both costly and ineffective, and ignoring them invites criticism.
As for eating them, that's completely off the table, as hippos are now protected worldwide!
Ultimately, they'll just have to coexist peacefully with humans like other urban animals.
