Escobar’s Legacy: Orphaned Baby Hippo Saved from Colombia’s River of Trouble

In a dramatic rescue that highlights the tangled legacy of a drug lord’s private zoo, wildlife officials in Colombia have pulled a newborn hippo calf from the treacherous currents of the Magdalena River. The infant, estimated to be just a few weeks old, is a direct descendant of the infamous hippo herd illegally imported by Pablo Escobar in the 1980s.

The calf was spotted by local fishermen, struggling to stay afloat amidst strong currents near the town of Puerto Berrío. The animal appeared weak and separated from its mother, prompting an immediate response from the regional environmental agency, Cornare. Rescuers spent hours carefully trailing the distressed baby in boats before safely guiding it into a shallow, calm inlet where they could secure it.

“This was a delicate operation,” said a Cornare spokesperson on the scene. “The little one was exhausted and at high risk of drowning or being attacked by caimans. Our primary goal was to stabilize it and check for injuries.”

Following the rescue, the male calf was transported to a veterinary facility in the town of Doradal, where he is now receiving round-the-clock care. Veterinarians report the hippo is slightly underweight but otherwise healthy, and they are currently working to bottle-feed him a specialized formula. Officials believe the mother may have abandoned the calf during the river’s recent turbulent flooding, a common natural cause of separation.

This rescue is the latest chapter in Colombia’s ongoing struggle to manage the “cocaine hippos,” whose population has ballooned to over 150 animals since Escobar’s death in 1993. The species is highly invasive, threatening native otters and manatees with aggressive competition for resources. While the government has initiated a controversial culling and sterilization program, the fate of this rescued calf remains a poignant, symbolic challenge. For now, he will remain in captivity, a living reminder that in Antioquia, the ghosts of the past are never far from the river’s surface.