A fisherman has been seriously injured by a hippo once owned by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The attack, near Escobar's old Hacienda Napoles compound, occurred on October 31.
Jhon ArÃstides Saldarriaga Márquez was fishing with friends and a young boy when an adult hippo rushed out of the undergrowth.
READ MORE: Cleo pictured with family first time since discovery
Mr Márquez told local media the animal "hit" him in the eye.
His left arm and left side of his chest was also injured as he tried to run away.
He was taken to a medical centre and later transferred to hospital to treat his injuries, which were not life-threatening.
READ MORE: Pablo Escobar agent describes moment drug king was killed
It's believed the hippo who attacked Mr Márquez was a female with a calf.
Escobar brought a small population of hippos to Colombia in the 1980s for his private zoo.
READ MORE: Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos legally 'people', judge rules
After his death in 1993 the territorial animals bred to become supposedly the biggest wild hippo herd outside Africa.
The invasive population, now numbering around 80, has prompted concern from biologists, with plans to cull them floated.
Last month regional environmental agency Cornare announced they would put the mammals on birth control.
from 9News https://ift.tt/3nXIBch
November 04, 2021 at 11:16PM
https://ift.tt/3vrokzd
A fisherman has been seriously injured by a hippo once owned by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The attack, near Escobar's old Hacienda Napoles compound, occurred on October 31.
Jhon ArÃstides Saldarriaga Márquez was fishing with friends and a young boy when an adult hippo rushed out of the undergrowth.
READ MORE: Cleo pictured with family first time since discovery
Mr Márquez told local media the animal "hit" him in the eye.
His left arm and left side of his chest was also injured as he tried to run away.
He was taken to a medical centre and later transferred to hospital to treat his injuries, which were not life-threatening.
READ MORE: Pablo Escobar agent describes moment drug king was killed
It's believed the hippo who attacked Mr Márquez was a female with a calf.
Escobar brought a small population of hippos to Colombia in the 1980s for his private zoo.
READ MORE: Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos legally 'people', judge rules
After his death in 1993 the territorial animals bred to become supposedly the biggest wild hippo herd outside Africa.
The invasive population, now numbering around 80, has prompted concern from biologists, with plans to cull them floated.
Last month regional environmental agency Cornare announced they would put the mammals on birth control.
