A hippo descended from Pablo Escobar’s infamous herd has been spotted roaming near a school, sparking fears among residents and prompting calls for urgent action from authorities.
The animal was seen walking freely through a quiet neighbourhood on 10 August, close to a school.
Residents reportedly watched in alarm as the huge animal wandered through the streets and even approached a home.
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One local resident filmed the hippo as it made its way through the area, with the footage later circulating on social media.
Officials from the Environment Department went to the scene in the El Limonar neighbourhood of Barrancabermeja, Colombia, to investigate and found tracks indicating where the animal had travelled.
They believe it entered the area through the La Lira creek, apparently emerging from a nearby wetland.
Leonardo Granados, the city’s Environment Secretary, said a local resident had watched the animal emerge from the area.
He said: “According to the testimony of the young man who was able to observe from this window that the hippo came out, this is where it entered.
“Here are the tracks showing that it flattened all the vegetation, came out, went around that area and then went back in.”
Vets, biologists and Environmental Police officers are continuing to search the area in an attempt to locate the animal and establish the route it took.
The authorities are also investigating whether it is the same hippo that has been spotted at least three times in rural areas of the municipality.
Granados said the district would request the implementation of risk-prevention protocols relating to invasive species that could pose a danger to residents.
The aim would be to capture the animal and relocate it away from Barrancabermeja, as reported by Need To Know.
Since January this year, the district has reportedly submitted more than 20 requests to Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Regional Autonomous Corporations over the presence of hippos in the city.
Several sightings have been reported in Barrancabermeja this year, increasing concerns about the animals venturing into populated areas.
“We are concerned about the safety of children; we are concerned about the safety of families.
“We are here talking right next to this house; it is already in the urban area,” Granados said.
Authorities have proposed installing camera traps with the Jaguar Foundation to monitor the animal’s movements and establish where it is travelling.
It remains unclear whether the hippo is the same one seen elsewhere in the department in previous sightings.
The animal is believed to be one of more than 200 hippos living in the Magdalena Medio region, descendants of animals originally brought to Colombia by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Escobar imported four hippos to his private zoo in the 1980s, and the population has since grown dramatically.
The animals are considered an invasive species and have become a major environmental and public safety concern in Colombia.
Authorities advise anyone who spots a hippo not to approach it and to immediately report the sighting to the National Police or Environment Department to help officials locate and monitor it.
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