Cocaine King's Hippo Gunned Down In Colombia

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Tchort

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Reuters

7/11/2009

By Hugh Bronstein

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Drug lord Pablo Escobar's hippo died the same way he did, hunted down and shot by the authorities for posing a danger to the public.

The African-born hippopotamus that escaped three years ago from a ranch once owned by Escobar was killed on orders of the government, authorities said on Friday.

Cocaine king Escobar, who was gunned down by police on a rooftop in the city of Medellin in 1993, was so flush with cash that he flew in hundreds of exotic animals, including kangaroos, flamingos, elephants, rhinos, and nine hippos.

Many were given away to zoos after his death and collapse of his cartel. But two dozen hippos continued to live and mate on his former estate in northern Colombia.

A male and a female escaped in 2006, freely roamed the wetlands near the Magdalena River and even reproduced in the wild. They were rarely seen and became something of a local legend until two journalists found them grazing 65 miles (100 km) away from the ranch last month.

Colombia's environmental agency ordered the animals killed, saying they were carriers of disease and posed a risk to local communities.

Colombians were shocked by television images broadcast on Friday of the carcass of the male hippopotamus surrounded by hunters and soldiers dressed in camouflage. Animal rights groups denounced the killing.

"They could have been captured and kept in a safe place until a permanent refuge was found for them," said Marcela Ramirez of a local group called Animal Protection Network.

The hunt was still on for the surviving adult hippo.

"It was only a question of time before those animals hurt someone," Environment Minister Carlos Costa told reporters. "After more than two years of trying to capture them, the decision (to kill them) was a sound one."

The slain hippo was known locally as "Pepe" and had recently sired a calf by his mate, according to local fishermen who had caught glimpses of the three together.

(Reporting by Hugh Bronstein; editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5696ZF20090711
 
haha awww poor hippo! they are so cool!

I don't think theres any chance it was diseased. I think the fires of hate are still burning hot among the people, so they wanted to destroy anything having to do with the old drug lord.
 
^ I agree, its a demonstration that anything acquired through drug money can be controlled/destroyed by the Government. They didn't need to kill it at all but they are sending a message.
 
More like, if you break our laws, even if you are dead, any of your possessions are as worthless as we deem your life to the point we will execute an innocent animal for no real reason other than you owned it.
 
disease carrying or not it was a species that wasnt meant to be living in the wild in SA. iam sure you can find some biologist supporting the claim that this may have become a problem of invasive species to the region. that and the things are territorial as fuck and could quite easily pose a danger to anyone in a boat around them. perhaps they could have tranqued em and hauled em off some where but whats done isa done
 
10452-King_Hippo_large.png
 
Hippo's kill more people than any other animal in Africa, I don't see why people are getting pissed it obviously wasnt ment to be theyre and all it takes is a child to think that hippo's are friendly and get close too it.

C'mon I'm sure its led quite a good life, it was looked after by Escobar.
 
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Drug lord Pablo Escobar's hippo died the same way he did, hunted down and shot by the authorities for posing a danger to the public.
Click to expand...


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


p.s. + 2 koolness points for punch out reference up top
 
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