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Colombia grapples with Escobar's hippopotamus legacy
In their homeland in Africa, they are responsible for more human deaths than almost any other animal, but in Colombia, hippopotami have become loved members of the local community.
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Hippos -- descendants from a small herd introduced by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar -- are seen in the wild in a lake near the Hacienda Napoles theme park in Doradal, Colombia, on April 19, 2023. (AFP/Raul Arboleda)
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n their homeland in Africa, they are responsible for more human deaths than almost any other animal, but in Colombia, hippopotami have become loved members of the local community and a tourist attraction.
However, in a town close to the city of Medellin, this legacy of the late drug baron Pablo Escobar, is increasingly posing a problem, and one that experts think may soon turn deadly.
Several months ago, one of hippos burst into a school yard in Doradal with both pupils and parents present.
"The mothers get scared when they see an animal of that size," teacher Dunia Arango told AFP.
This time, the uninvited guest chomped at some fruit trees before moving off into the adjacent fields.
But a bloat of hippos have set up home in a lake just 20 meters (yards) from the school.
"There are about 35 children playing that could approach them and provoke a tragedy," said David Echeverri, an official from the local environment authority.
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