Colombia has long struggled with a growing herd of hippopotamuses descended from animals illegally imported by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. The government recently decided to cull around 80 of the animals after other control methods, including castration, failed.

Anant Ambani, son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, has offered to take the hippos into his private Vantara zoo in Gujarat, India. In a letter to Colombia's environment minister, the zoo's CEO expressed readiness to provide 'lifelong care' for the herd.

The letter, posted on the zoo's Instagram account, stated: 'At the heart of this proposal is Vantara's belief that every life matters and that we have a shared responsibility to protect life wherever possible.' Colombian authorities have not yet responded to the offer.

Escobar, killed in 1993, kept a male and female hippo at his Hacienda Nápoles estate. After his death, the animals roamed free and multiplied along the Magdalena River basin, becoming the largest herd outside Africa due to a lack of predators and favorable conditions.

Environmentalists label the hippos an invasive species that displaces native fauna, while fishing communities face attacks from the massive animals, which can weigh up to three tonnes. Vantara zoo, spread over 3,500 acres and housing 2,000 species, has faced criticism from activists over climate suitability and other concerns.

Source: www.bbc.com