Pablo Escobar was known for many things. For possibly defining a country for years due to his terroristic attacks, his drug empire, and his infamous feuds with other drug cartels. What you may not have known about Escobar, was that he was an avid collector of exotic wildlife. Specifically hippos. Which, are native to Africa, but that didn’t stop Escobar from illegally importing hippos, elephants, zebras, ostriches, and more. Escobar’s collection was shared with the rest of Colombia – his exotic zoo was open in his Hacienda Napoles free to the public.
A Part of The Story You Missed
With Escobar gone, all of the hippos were left without a home. Roaming free around Colombia and protected by Colombian law. But, hippos aren’t meant to be in Colombia. And they can be very dangerous animals. Originally, when Escobar was caught and killed, all of the other animals either died or were sent to zoos. The hippos, however; remained in the water of Hacienda. After repopulating at an alarming rate, they began to break down the barrier of Hacienda. The army went in and killed one hippo in particular. After a social media post, the people of Colombia protested. Hence how hippos became a federally protected animal species in Colombia.
The Hunt For Escobar’s Hippos is certainly a unique take on Pablo Escobar’s legacy. From shows like Netflix’s Narcos, we’re used to the horrific acts of terrorism that Escobar bestowed upon Colombia. The documentary does touch upon this – explaining how the participants of the documentary personally had family members killed in the bombings. So, Escobar’s hand is always in this documentary. But, it’s also an interesting perspective on how Escobar essentially changed the wildlife in his own country by introducing these animals. Hippos, without their natural predator around (as it would be in Africa), repopulated exponentially.
If you enjoy nature shows, but you also have a natural interest in learning about one of the most infamous men in history, The Hunt For Escobar’s Hippos is a good documentary to watch.
The Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos premieres tonight, August 26th; on the Smithsonian Channel at 8 pm ET/PT in the U.S. and 9 pm ET/PT in Canada.
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