Apparently, the fate of nearly half of the Magdalena Medio hippopotamus population is about to change following the announced plans to relocate to two countries.

Last Wednesday, the governor of Antioquia, Aníbal Gaviria, announced the transfer of 60 hippos to Mexico. Speaking at a governor’s meeting, the official indicated that the issue had been analyzed in several areas and indicated that they will work to make this happen.

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“We will work with the Assembly of Antioquia and the Congress of the Republic so that this process can be brought to a successful conclusion. Of course, all necessary permits will be obtained from the respective territorial and national entities to achieve this goal,” he said.

Hippos were introduced to Colombia more than 40 years ago by drug trafficker Pablo Escobar and have migrated from Magdalena Medio to the Depresión Momposina. It is considered an invasive species and can weigh up to 4 tons.

The president of the Association of Zoos, Hatcheries and Aquariums of Mexico, Ernesto Zazueta, visited Colombia last week and verified the situation. There he stated his intention to take the hippos and arrange for the transfer of others to India.

According to the El Colombiano portal, not only the granting of the permits will be enough, since adequate logistics must also be prepared, since the capture and transfer must first be carried out to an air terminal, after which they will be transported to the destinations in two planes. He also revealed that the cost of transporting the animals would be covered by the destinations they are going to.

In statements to the portal, David Echeverri, a biologist from Cornare, indicated that so far only the intentions have been revealed and not the actions taken, he also recalled that there were people from Ecuador and India at the pass that they had said they wanted to get rid of the hippos.