Colombia's War on Hippos

Legendary drug lord Pablo Escobar was gunned down in 1993, but his spectacular excesses have left Colombia with plenty of non-cocaine related problems, namely an infestation of giant hippos. Escobar imported the creatures to his estate along with a variety of non-native animals like zebras, giraffes, and kangaroos, leaving behind environmental issues as their numbers have expanded over the years through breeding. To counter the prospect of hippos spreading throughout the area and wreaking havoc on the local habitat, teams of hunts are being dispatched to take out the gigantic beasts, at least 28 of whom are believed to live on the estate. While some are upset over the harsh fate, experts say it may be necessary. "Colombia is absolute paradise for hippos, with its climate, vegetation and no natural predators," a consultant for the Frankfurt Zoological Society in Tanzania, Peter Morkel, told The New York Times. "But as much as I love hippos, they are an alien species and extremely dangerous to people who disrupt them."