The governor of a region in Colombia where some 150 hippos are breeding out of control has said he is optimistic that the Colombian government will give the green light to send half of the individuals to sanctuaries in India and Mexico in the coming months.
"
We hope that the permits required by the national institutions can be approved in the first half of this year, so that we can make arrangements for the shipment by air," Anibal Gaviria, governor of the
department, told AFP. of Antioquia (northwest).
A small herd of hippos arrived in Colombia in the late 1980s for the private zoo of drug lord Pablo Escobar.
After his death in 1993, the mammals were left free and populated the region of Magdalena Medio, a hot savanna criss-crossed by rivers, marshes and swamps where food is abundant.
“Complex situation for the inhabitants”
Anibal Gaviria is seeking to transfer 70 individuals of this species to sanctuaries in India and Mexico.
The development of the hippopotamus population "
is a complex situation for the inhabitants
" of Magdalena Medio, some of whom have been "
threatened
" by these animals, which can weigh two to three tons, he explains.
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The local environmental authority (Cornare) recorded two assaults on residents in 2021. In 2022, after unsuccessfully attempting a sterilization program, the government declared hippos an invasive species, opening the door to
hunting
.
Experts and Cornare had agreed that this was a "
necessary
" solution given the threat to local people and wildlife.
Thanks to a large-scale plan financed by the Mexican defender of the environment Ernesto Zazueta, Anibal Gaviria hopes to be able to save them.
Travel in “sturdy crates”
"
We have defined how hippos should be captured, how they should be kept...and how they should be transported from the capture area to airports in Mexico and India
," he said. .
The animals will travel in "
very sturdy crates
" and will not be sedated for health reasons.
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Ernesto Zazueta, president of the Association of Zoos, Hatcheries and Aquariums of Mexico, confirmed on Friday that he was taking steps to bring ten of these hippos to the sanctuary in Ostok, northern Mexico, and 60 others to a similar location in India. .
Ecuador, which according to the press also offered to welcome some of the individuals, denied on Saturday having authorized the entry of the animals.