A hippopotamus was run over and killed on Colombia's Bogota-Medellin highway, the fire department said, not far from the estate where deceased drug lord Pablo Escobar's introduction of the semiaquatic mammal spawned an invasive species.
The animal, weighing more than a ton, was found lying on the road near a hacienda that belonged to Escobar, Maria Magdalena Perez, commander of the fire department in the northwest municipality of Puerto Triunfo, told AFP on Tuesday night.
The cocaine baron, who was killed in a 1993 shootout with police, had brought a small herd of hippos to Colombia in the late 1980s.
After his death, the animals were left to roam freely in a hot, marshy area of Antioquia department, where environmental authorities have been unable to curb the population, which now stands at 150 animals.
The latest hippo car crash destroyed the front end of a pickup truck, but no people were injured.
"There was only one lad, he is unharmed," said Perez.
A hippo was also involved in a car crash in the same area in December, but firefighters said that animal survived.
Colombia's environment ministry declared the hippos an invasive species last year, which opened the door to an eventual cull.
Earlier efforts at a sterilization program to control the population failed.
Experts warn that the animals' uncontrolled reproduction poses a threat to the local population and wildlife.
In March, the governor of Antioquia announced a plan to transfer 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries in Mexico and India.
The operation is expected to cost $3.5 million and involve transporting the hippos about 150 kilometers (93 miles) by land to the nearest international airport.
Published 12 April 2023, 15:17 IST