“Cocaine hippos” are said to have been illegally imported by drug trafficker Pablo Escobar
The offspring of illegal hippo imports to Colombia by the late drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s have begun attacking humans.
Since there are no natural predators for these hippos in the South American nation, they have turned against humans, who are the target of their ferocious attacks, according to Wion.
“They are very, very dangerous. The hippos have started attacking people,” one local told Fox News.
Others described the huge hippos as “unpredictable and aggressive” and advised hiding quickly in the hope they won't chase you if you find yourself up against them.
One of the hippos in Escobar's collection died last year after being hit by a car. Emergency services sent the driver of the car to seek medical attention, but the hippo died immediately.
Hippos were introduced to Escobar's private zoo at Hacienda Nápoles in the 1980s. But since Escobar died in 1993, these animals have proliferated uncontrollably in surrounding waterways and spread, forcing the Ministry of Environment Environment of Colombia to classify them as invasive species because they represent damage to the environment as a whole.
Hippos began poisoning the water and soil and eradicating local natural vegetation when their population reached 150 individuals. According to officials, their excrement reduced the oxygen content of the water, degraded its quality and killed a large number of fish.
