Pablo Escobar’s ‘Cocaine Hippos’ To Be Flown From Colombia to El Chapo’s Stronghold, Sinaloa

After decades of terrorizing locals, Pablo Escobar's infamous "cocaine hippos" will finally be moved. Some of them will go to another place well known for drugs, and that is the Mexican state of Sinaloa, El Chapo's birthplace and stronghold of his Sinaloa Cartel.

The hippos, which were descended from Escobar's pets that were released to Colombia's rivers and wreaking havoc on local wildlife and residents after the drug lord's death, will be flown to Jesus Maria, in the mountains of Sinaloa state.

The infamous "cocaine hippos" will be flown from Antioquia, Colombia to the Ostok Sanctuary, a well-known Mexican shelter for animals rescued from species trafficking. It is located on the outskirts of Culiacan, where El Chapo's son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was arrested earlier this year.

The hippos' transfer to Sinaloa is financed by Mexican conservationist Ernesto Zazueta. He reportedly paid around $500,000 to make this happen, according to Wion.

The hippos themselves were brought to Colombia by Escobar in his legendary ranch known as Hacienda Napoles. He initially bought four as part of his private zoo, which included elephants, giraffes, and antelopes.

However, after his demise, the hippos were left to roam Colombia freely, with their population exploding to 150. Now considered an invasive species, the large animals have threatened the natural environment in the country, also posing a danger to locals.

Pablo Escobar's 'Cocaine Hippos' Encroaching More on Human Territory

The "cocaine hippos" were mostly found in the Magdalena River in Puerto Triunfo, Colombia. However, they seem to be venturing further into human domains as their populations increase.

This is evident in an incident last April when one of these animals died after being run over by an SUV on a highway near the infamous hacienda. The occupants of the SUV were all unharmed. It happened on a highway that links Medellin, the stronghold of Escobar's Medellin Cartel, and Bogota, the country's capital.

NBC News pointed out that these animals have no natural predators in the Colombian rivers and pose a danger to motorists. Environmental authorities have removed the hippo's corpse to be analyzed. Last year, Colombia officially declared them an invasive species and has been trying to get rid of them as humanely as possible. Several wildlife sanctuaries in Mexico and India have now volunteered to take some of them in.

'Cocaine Hippos' Seen Entering Playground Near a School in Colombia

The encroachment of these hippos turned scary last month as one of them invaded a playground near a school in Doradal while children were still in the area.

According to CBS News, a bloat of these "cocaine hippos" have taken up their home in a lake just 20 yards from the school. The hippo that went inside the playground ate some fruit from trees before moving out and heading to an adjacent field. However, its presence still caused panic among parents and students alike.

"There are about 35 children playing that could approach them and provoke a tragedy," said local environmental official David Echeverri. "While they may look very calm, at any moment, given their highly unpredictable behavior, they can attack, as has happened before."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: 'Cocaine Hippos' find a new home; Colombia to send hippos to India, Mexico | World News | WION