Indian billionaire's son offers to save Escobar's hippos

Anant Ambani - son of Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani - says he can take care of the animals roaming free since the drug lord's death. Indian billionaire's son offers to save Escobar's hippos Vet Carlos Valderrama describes castrating Pablo Escobar's hippo in the wild Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Colombia says the hippos are an invasive species and have pushed local fauna away Two hippos with open mouths face each other in a lake near the Hacienda Napoles theme park, once the private zoo of Escobar. An Indian billionaire's son has offered to help Colombia get rid of a problem it has grappled with for years - a herd of hippos linked to notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. Escobar, who was shot dead by police in 1993, illegally imported exotic animals, including a male and a female hippopotamus - dubbed the "cocaine hippos". Their population grew and Colombia tried various methods of control - including castration - to no avail. It has decided to cull some 80 of the animals. Anant Ambani - son of Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani - says he is "willing to receive and care for" the animals at his private Vantara zoo in India's Gujarat state. Colombia has not commented on the offer. In a letter to Colombia's environment minister, the CEO of Ambani's zoo said they were ready to give the herd "lifelong care" in India. In a letter to Colombia's environment minister, the CEO of Ambani's zoo said they were ready to give the herd "lifelong care" The letter, published on the zoo's Instagram account, said "at the heart of this proposal is Vantara's belief that every life matters and that we have a shared responsibility to protect life wherever possible". Escobar kept the hippos at his ranch, Hacienda Nápoles - a luxury estate situated about 250km (155 miles) north-west of the capital Bogotá. After his death, the pair were allowed to roam free and multiplied along the basin of Colombia's main river, the Magdalena. Efforts failed to contain the herd's growth, with a lack of predators and the fertile and swampy Antioquia region providing perfect conditions for the native African animal to thrive. Colombian environmentalists say the hippos, believed to be the biggest herd outside Africa, are an invasive species and have pushed away the native fauna. Fishing communities along the Magdalena River have come under attack by hippos - one of the largest land animals, with adult males weighing up to three tonnes. Vantara zoo is home to 2,000 species, including elephants, tigers and other animals. Spread over 3,500 acres, it is located in Jamnagar, not far from Mukesh Ambani's oil refinery - which is the largest in the world. It was one of the venues for Anant Ambani's lavish pre-wedding events that made global headlines in 2024. The private zoo has drawn criticism from wildlife activists and conservationists for numerous reasons including the unsuitability of the region's hot and dry climate for some of the animals. Pablo Escobar was the head of the Medellín cartel and dubbed the "cocaine king" who amassed an estimated $30bn (£25bn) fortune smuggling drugs into Miami and the southern US. His reign of terror spanned more than a decade and involved kidnappings, hundreds of murders, bribery, bombings and turf wars with rival drug barons - as well as a brief sojourn as an elected politician. Pablo Escobar's feral hippos face cull in Colombia Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with two elephants during his visit to the wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation center at Vantara in Gujarat on 4 March 2025 Private zoo run by billionaire Ambani family cleared of 'foul play' Prada had faced backlash last year after it showcased similar designs at a fashion show without acknowledging their Indian roots. With Rai's passing, India has lost a visual historian who was a chronicler of its most defining and often painful moments. Akash Delison's death in Tamil Nadu state has revived concerns about alleged custody killings in India. Lisa Houston say the discovery of around 12 animal carcasses near Claudy on Sunday morning was 'shocking and upsetting'. Officials say a rebel leader known as "Marlon" ordered the attack in which 20 people were killed. Political violence has escalated in Colombia ahead of next month's presidential election. Anna Mason says most calls she receives are from people who can't afford to keep their cats. The lamb, nicknamed Larry, is currently in a foster home on a farm with other animals.