More than 30 years after the introduction of hippos to Colombia, the Colombian Ministry of Environment has announced that it has adopted the recommendations of the National Technical Commission for Species Introductions (CTNEI) to define hippos as an "invasive species" because of their impact on the Maggiore in Antioquia. The ecosystem of the Magdalena watershed and other species such as manatees pose a serious threat.

Former environment minister Manuel Rodríguez noted that the current goal is to reduce the number of hippos in Colombia to zero.

According to him, it is not easy to achieve this goal, and the cost is very high: these hippos are distributed in an area of ​​172 square kilometers and can weigh up to 4.5 tons; and they have a strong sense of territory, and when they detect danger, they will Has a strong attack.

(Produced by Zhou Jing)

Responsible editor: [Ye Pan]