Hippopotamus Wanders Near School in Colombia: Authorities Warn of Danger
An adult hippopotamus was spotted over the weekend roaming through the city of Barrancabermeja. The animal was documented on August 10 near the General Córdoba school, as well as in the El Limonar and Cincuentenario neighborhoods. Local authorities have warned that this first-ever urban sighting poses an immediate threat to public safety.
Early Sunday morning, a resident spotted a hippopotamus near his home in the Cincuentenario neighborhood. The following day, reports confirmed the animal had also been seen in the El Limonar area, near a school. Resident Luis Fernando Rangel recounted hearing his dogs barking; when he looked out his window, he saw the animal just a few meters away. The hippopotamus wandered the area for about ten minutes, appearing disoriented, before returning toward the swampy terrain from which it likely emerged.
Municipal workers arrived at the scene alongside police, veterinarians, and wildlife experts. They discovered crushed vegetation, a collapsed fence, and tracks. A drone search over the swampy area was conducted, but the animal was not located.
Leonardo Granados, head of the municipality's environment department, emphasized that this is a residential area populated by many children, warning that an encounter could easily turn fatal.
The regional hippopotamus population originated from four individuals—one male and three females—smuggled into Colombia in the 1980s for Pablo Escobar’s private zoo at the Hacienda Nápoles estate. Following his death, the animals remained in the area, multiplied, and spread along the Magdalena River basin. The Colombian government now classifies them as an invasive species, and in recent years, they have expanded their habitat northward to the Barrancabermeja region.
The sighting near the school has reignited tensions between local authorities and the national government. Granados claimed that over 20 requests for action against the spread of the invasive species have been submitted since the beginning of the year. He announced his intention to petition the court to compel the Ministry of Environment and regional environmental authorities to accelerate their response. While the government launched an expedited program this year to manage the population—including relocation, sterilization, and, in some cases, controlled culling—officials in Barrancabermeja argue that these measures are not progressing quickly enough.
In the meantime, residents have been instructed not to approach the hippopotamus if it reappears, to avoid taking close-up photographs, and to maintain a distance of at least 50 meters. Experts warn that despite their seemingly slow and calm demeanor, an adult hippopotamus—estimated in this case to weigh around three tons—is an extremely territorial and powerful animal that may attack if it feels threatened.
