Indian Tycoon Offers Refuge to Pablo Escobar’s Condemned Hippos
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- In Colombia’s Antioquia department, invasive hippos originally imported by Pablo Escobar are damaging the local ecosystem by overgrazing marshy flora along the Magdalena River basin.
- Colombia’s environment minister, Irene Vélez Torres, proposed killing at least 80 hippos after sterilization efforts failed to control the population, which currently numbers around 200.
- Anant Ambani, heir to Asia’s richest family, opposed the cull and offered to relocate the hippos to his private wildlife sanctuary, Vantara, in Gujarat, India, advocating for a “scientifically led translocation.”
- Vantara is a 3,500-acre animal rescue and conservation center near the Ambani family’s oil refinery, and has hosted high-profile events including Ambani’s 2024 pre-wedding festivities and visits from global celebrities and India’s Prime Minister.
- The relocation project reflects Ambani’s belief in protecting all life and has drawn attention for its scale and the involvement of prominent figures, positioning it as a major conservation effort.
