Back in the 1980s, Escobar imported elephants, giraffes, rhinoceroses, zebras and two hippos from Africa to graze and wallow at his many manmade lakes. While most of the animals have since died or been transferred to zoos, the hippos, which can grow to 4,000 pounds, have multiplied to 18.snip
Martha Cecilia Ocampo, head veterinarian at Parque Zoologico Santa Fe, near Medellin, is worried that the hippos, which kill more people in Africa each year than any other wild animal, have outgrown their habitat. Her park already houses many of Escobar's animals, including two hippos. ``This is a time bomb,'' Ocampo said. ``If the authorities don't do something to rehouse these hippos soon, they will make it to the nearest river, and then people will die. Catching them is extremely difficult.''
What's a tourist attraction without a thrill ride?
