Індійський магнат хоче врятувати 80 бегемотів Ескобара у Колумбії
This is according to CNN.
Indian tycoon Anant Ambani, son of billionaire Makesh Ambani, has offered Colombia an alternative to the culling of 80 hippos.
He is prepared to house the animals at his ‘Vantara’ wildlife rescue centre in India.
These are hippos descended from animals brought to Colombia in the 1980s by Pablo Escobar.
At the time, the drug lord was attempting to create one of the largest private zoos in Latin America, housing various species of animals.
Subsequently, the hippopotamus population grew rapidly and now stands at around 160 individuals.
As a result, their presence has become a threat to local species.
A few weeks ago, Colombia announced plans to cull 80 hippos. This decision sparked debate.
Amban called on the Colombian government to reconsider this plan and proposed a humane alternative – to transport the animals to his rescue centre.
“These 80 hippos did not choose where they were born and did not create the circumstances in which they find themselves. They are living, sentient beings, and if we have the opportunity to save them in a safe and humane way, we must try to do so,” Ambani wrote on social media.
The “Vantara” centre is located in the city of Jamnagar, in the state of Gujarat.
According to the report, it houses over 150,000 animals representing more than 2,000 species of wildlife.
It is there that Ambani proposes to relocate the hippos.
Currently, the animals live on the estate in Puerto Triunfo, which once belonged to Escobar and is now used as a tourist attraction.
The directors of “Vantara” have written to Colombia’s Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development.
In the letter, they called for the government’s decision to cull the animals to be “respectfully challenged”.
If Colombia agrees to Ambani’s proposal, the transport will be carried out in compliance with all necessary approvals, permits, due diligence procedures, biosafety requirements and logistical planning.
Vantara also stated that they are prepared to provide the hippos with lifelong care.
Representatives of the centre cite the principle of “do no harm to any living creature”.
Vantara has also expressed its readiness to engage in dialogue with the Colombian government regarding this initiative.
They wish to meet with representatives of President Gustavo Petro’s administration and have invited them to visit the rescue centre’s facilities.
The decision to cull 80 hippos in Colombia is explained by the uncontrolled spread of this invasive species in the Magdalena River basin.
This was announced by Colombia’s Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Irene Velez Torres.
“Without these measures, it is impossible to control the population size, and, as we have already seen, estimates suggest that by 2030 we will have at least 500 hippos, which will have a negative impact on our ecosystems and local species such as manatees and river turtles. It is out of a sense of responsibility for our ecosystem that we must take these actions,” the minister stated on 13 April.
A few weeks earlier, Colombia’s Ministry of the Environment had reported that it was considering alternative options.
These included transporting the animals to other countries.
However, these options were not pursued further due to international restrictions and logistical difficulties.
In March 2022, Colombia added hippos to the list of invasive exotic species.
This allowed the government to develop measures to control the species’ population. Hippos
have a lifespan of 40 to 50 years.
As reported by ThePublic, a court in Rivne region has punished a female driver who hit Boris the deer
. Follow us on Telegram
