Son of Indian tycoon Ambani offers refuge to Escobar’s hippos – ProtoThema English
Anant Ambani says he has submitted an official request to the Colombian government to halt the animals' euthanasia
The son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani has offered to rescue the hippos descended from those introduced to Colombia by drug lord Pablo Escobar, in an effort to prevent their euthanasia.
Anant Ambani announced that he has submitted a formal request to the Colombian government to suspend the implementation of the culling decision for the animals, which have caused disruption in rivers across the South American country.
Anant Ambani has asked for permission to "relocate" the 80 animals safely to the Vantara zoo, located in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
The zoo describes itself as "one of the largest wildlife rescue, care and conservation centers in the world." Among other animals, it already hosts hundreds of elephants, 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards and 900 crocodiles, according to India's Central Zoo Authority.
Wildlife protection experts have repeatedly expressed concerns about the large influx of animals into the facility, particularly the introduction of endangered species.
In the 1980s, in Colombia, Pablo Escobar brought a pair of hippos to his private zoo in the north-central part of the country.
After his death in 1993 and the seizure of his assets, the mammals were left unattended and began reproducing. Some of them have attacked fishermen in the Magdalena River, the largest river in Colombia.
Anant Ambani, son of the chairman of Reliance Industries, said he has submitted a detailed plan to provide a new home for the animals.
The proposal includes capturing and transporting the hippos under veterinary supervision, as well as creating "a specially designed, naturalistic habitat" for the mammals, according to a press release.
"Vantara has the necessary expertise, infrastructure and commitment to support this effort, entirely under Colombian conditions," he stressed, adding: "These hippos are sentient beings, and if we have the ability to save them through a safe and humane solution, we have a responsibility to try."
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