Between 181 and 215 hippopotamuses, come to count Colombian researchers. The problem of this population resulting from four African pachyderms, which had been adopted by the famous drug trafficker, then which escaped, is even more complicated than expected. An ecological puzzle that divides Colombia and scientists.
Hervé Poirier, editor-in-chief of the scientific magazine Epsiloon explains to us today that we have just counted the famous hippopotamuses of Pablo Escobar, which had escaped 30 years ago, in a Colombian river.
franceinfo: In fact, these hippos are twice as numerous as expected! Tell us.
Herve Poirier: New twist in the case of the “Cocaine Hippos”: there are not a hundred of them, as we thought. Colombian researchers have just counted them, by multiplying the movements and the drones: they are in fact between 185 and 215!
And a third are juveniles, indicating that the animals reproduce quickly. Surely there is less fighting between them for resources. No doubt they reach sexual maturity earlier than in Africa, because of the lush conditions. One thing is certain: this species – the largest invasive animal in the world – does very well in the Colombian jungle, even more than we thought.
And that must be a big problem?
It is a very dangerous species, yes. But it is above all an incredible ecological puzzle. On the one hand, some argue that they could replace the herbivorous megafauna, which disappeared 10,000 years ago, and that the ecosystem could find another balance, different, but no less diverse. Others, more numerous, point out that these hippos upset the chemical balance of the lakes, compact the sediments, erode the banks, and threaten other animals in danger, such as the manatee.
What to do then?
We could sterilize them. But models carried out last April estimate that it would take 50 years to eradicate them all – with the new count, it would be even longer. Local authorities announced a few weeks ago that they wanted to transfer 70 hippos to parks in Mexico and India. But it’s overpriced, and it wouldn’t fundamentally change the situation.
The solution advocated by many researchers is systematic culling. A hypothesis that causes an outcry among animal rights associations. In short, we are not done with this funny story that raises fascinating questions about the real effects of invasive species, the relevance of rescuing the world, the influence of human emotions in ecology. And who started with four pachyderms of a drug trafficker…