A hippo from Pablo Escobar's infamous herd has been spotted roaming near a school in Colombia, prompting an urgent hunt and raising concerns for residents' safety.
The animal was seen wandering freely through the El Limonar neighbourhood of Barrancabermeja on August 10, with locals watching as it approached a home. One resident filmed the hippo as it moved through the area.
Officials investigate tracks
Environment department officials went to the scene and found tracks showing where the animal had travelled. They believe the hippo entered the neighbourhood through the La Lira creek, emerging from a nearby wetland.
The animal is part of a population that began after Escobar brought several hippos to his private estate in Colombia in the 1980s. The animals have multiplied to more than 200 and spread beyond their original area.
Safety concerns and search efforts
Leonardo Granados, the city's Environment Secretary, said a local resident had watched the animal emerge. He said: "According to the testimony of the young man who was able to observe from this window that the hippo came out, this is where it entered."
"Here are the tracks showing that it flattened all the vegetation, came out, went around that area and then went back in."
The area is being scoured by vets, biologists and Environmental Police officers to locate the animal and establish its route. Authorities are investigating whether it is the same hippo spotted at least three times in rural areas of the municipality.
Granados said the district would work to implement risk-prevention protocols for invasive species that could pose a danger. The aim would be to capture the animal and relocate it away from Barrancabermeja.
Ongoing sightings and response
Since January, the district has reportedly submitted more than 20 requests to Colombia's Ministry of Environment and Regional Autonomous Corporations over hippos in the city. Several sightings have been reported this year, increasing concerns about animals entering populated areas.
"We are concerned about the safety of children; we are concerned about the safety of families," Granados said. "We are here talking right next to this house; it is already in the urban area."
Authorities have proposed installing camera traps with the Jaguar Foundation to monitor the animal's movements. It remains unclear whether this hippo is the same one seen elsewhere in previous sightings.
Authorities have urged anyone who spots a hippo not to approach it and to immediately report the sighting to the National Police or Environment Department.
