the hippopotamus an iconic symbol of the
continent of Africa
the semi aquatic creatures roam wild
here and nowhere else in the world at
least they didn’t until now this small
herd of wild hippos lives thousands of
miles from Africa in the South American
country of Colombia how they got here is
a crime story where they’re going is a
mystery it began decades ago here in
what’s called the hacienda nápoles now
it’s a ruin but this was once the
fortress and personal playground of one
of the world’s most famous criminals
Pablo Escobar
ruler to the medellin drug cartel
escobar used his ill-gotten wealth to
stock this 7,000 acre estate with a
private airstrip
dozens of buildings and a faux jurassic
park complete with life-sized dinosaurs
he also had his own personal Zoo stocked
with exotic species such as zebras
giraffes and four hippopotamus Mombasa
to the pedlar inter lopez who goes by
the name chocolate is now a ranger for
the environmental agency in charge of
much of hacienda nápoles he knows what
it was like before
Escobar’s downfall see alterior meant a
hippopotamus lost in ian paisa Connie’s
originally the hippos were kept in this
Lagoon right here and on another big one
over there they would feed them in this
area and they would give them carrots
and salt to eat grass there was a lot
there since this place was left alone
and no one was taking care of it the
electric fence stopped working so they
started to break through the wire fences
because the barbed wire doesn’t stop
them so they started to take over the
whole ranch and run freely everywhere
and started to hang out in the largest
lake most of Escobar’s wild animals were
captured and taken to zoos
at least two of the hippos were left
behind they rank among the second
largest mammals in the world and can
produce calves every two years
Pablo’s hippos adapted to this lush
landscape devoid of natural predators
and they went forth and multiply the
herd now numbers about 16 perhaps more
some have proposed turning hacienda
nápoles into a theme park the
government plans to use part of the site
to build a prison – Tom – until de la
casa Chris Kira de paola squat we’re in
the area of Pablo Escobar’s old house as
you’re seen what’s left here ruins here
we can see how the people have ruined
the floors because they’ve come looking
for treasure and all of that stuff once
they brought a backhoe into this area of
the pool in the bar they knocked that
over with a backhoe
so when you come in and look at the
state it’s in well I get nostalgic
because the government could have
maintained this or this could have been
self sustained by charging entrance fees
it could have been kept as he had it
it’s sad to see it like this
Escobar was a troubling figure in
Colombian history and dealing with his
legacy is apt to be a touchy subject
which leaves the hip votes
some of which have reportedly wandered
off from the main herd to establish new
stomping grounds hippos can be dangerous
and some are worried well I would put
the other one as you say we’re looking
above it pork you are not the one in Rio
there could be human losses and I’m sure
there will be because they will take
over the river as their territory people
take sand out of the river they
transport products like plantains and
yuca everything that they ship by boats
and if these animals are in the river
well forget it because people won’t be
able to pass through or they will be
prone to have an accident caused by
these animals Colombia has offered the
hippos free for the taking and some
environmental groups have expressed
tentative interest
but like Pablo Escobar these big guys
probably won’t go quietly and if they
can’t be caught the government hints
they may have to be shocked just like
their former owner gunned down on the
run for some that would be a tragedy
they see the hippos as a positive legacy
of a despised man
Columbia has come a long way from its
darkest days but years after his death
Pablo Escobar continues to stir emotions
and create problems for Colombians and
hippos far from their ancestral home
carry the weight of their troubled
history sponsored by National Geographic
mission programs taking science and
exploration into the new millennium
continent of Africa
the semi aquatic creatures roam wild
here and nowhere else in the world at
least they didn’t until now this small
herd of wild hippos lives thousands of
miles from Africa in the South American
country of Colombia how they got here is
a crime story where they’re going is a
mystery it began decades ago here in
what’s called the hacienda nápoles now
it’s a ruin but this was once the
fortress and personal playground of one
of the world’s most famous criminals
Pablo Escobar
ruler to the medellin drug cartel
escobar used his ill-gotten wealth to
stock this 7,000 acre estate with a
private airstrip
dozens of buildings and a faux jurassic
park complete with life-sized dinosaurs
he also had his own personal Zoo stocked
with exotic species such as zebras
giraffes and four hippopotamus Mombasa
to the pedlar inter lopez who goes by
the name chocolate is now a ranger for
the environmental agency in charge of
much of hacienda nápoles he knows what
it was like before
Escobar’s downfall see alterior meant a
hippopotamus lost in ian paisa Connie’s
originally the hippos were kept in this
Lagoon right here and on another big one
over there they would feed them in this
area and they would give them carrots
and salt to eat grass there was a lot
there since this place was left alone
and no one was taking care of it the
electric fence stopped working so they
started to break through the wire fences
because the barbed wire doesn’t stop
them so they started to take over the
whole ranch and run freely everywhere
and started to hang out in the largest
lake most of Escobar’s wild animals were
captured and taken to zoos
at least two of the hippos were left
behind they rank among the second
largest mammals in the world and can
produce calves every two years
Pablo’s hippos adapted to this lush
landscape devoid of natural predators
and they went forth and multiply the
herd now numbers about 16 perhaps more
some have proposed turning hacienda
nápoles into a theme park the
government plans to use part of the site
to build a prison – Tom – until de la
casa Chris Kira de paola squat we’re in
the area of Pablo Escobar’s old house as
you’re seen what’s left here ruins here
we can see how the people have ruined
the floors because they’ve come looking
for treasure and all of that stuff once
they brought a backhoe into this area of
the pool in the bar they knocked that
over with a backhoe
so when you come in and look at the
state it’s in well I get nostalgic
because the government could have
maintained this or this could have been
self sustained by charging entrance fees
it could have been kept as he had it
it’s sad to see it like this
Escobar was a troubling figure in
Colombian history and dealing with his
legacy is apt to be a touchy subject
which leaves the hip votes
some of which have reportedly wandered
off from the main herd to establish new
stomping grounds hippos can be dangerous
and some are worried well I would put
the other one as you say we’re looking
above it pork you are not the one in Rio
there could be human losses and I’m sure
there will be because they will take
over the river as their territory people
take sand out of the river they
transport products like plantains and
yuca everything that they ship by boats
and if these animals are in the river
well forget it because people won’t be
able to pass through or they will be
prone to have an accident caused by
these animals Colombia has offered the
hippos free for the taking and some
environmental groups have expressed
tentative interest
but like Pablo Escobar these big guys
probably won’t go quietly and if they
can’t be caught the government hints
they may have to be shocked just like
their former owner gunned down on the
run for some that would be a tragedy
they see the hippos as a positive legacy
of a despised man
Columbia has come a long way from its
darkest days but years after his death
Pablo Escobar continues to stir emotions
and create problems for Colombians and
hippos far from their ancestral home
carry the weight of their troubled
history sponsored by National Geographic
mission programs taking science and
exploration into the new millennium
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