Tycoon's son offers home for "cocaine hippos" slated to be killed
Summary
Anant Ambani, son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has offered to take 80 hippos living in Colombia instead of letting the Colombian government kill them. These hippos, originally brought to Colombia by drug lord Pablo Escobar, have caused problems in local rivers and are considered invasive.Key Facts
- Pablo Escobar brought hippos from Africa to Colombia in the 1980s for his private zoo.
- After Escobar's death, the hippos escaped and have multiplied near Colombia’s Magdalena River.
- The hippos have harmed local wildlife and people, leading Colombia to label them invasive.
- Colombia planned to kill some hippos or move them to other countries, but moving them costs about $3.5 million.
- Anant Ambani proposed to safely capture and relocate 80 hippos to his Vantara animal center in India.
- Vantara is a large animal rescue center housing many endangered species.
- Ambani’s plan includes veterinary care and creating a natural habitat for the hippos.
- Animal activists in Colombia oppose killing the hippos, citing humane treatment and the country’s history of conflict.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.