• Proposal to relocate animals to specialist care centre in India instead of culling them
• Escobar’s former hippos linked to environmental disruption in Colombia

Indian businessman Anant Ambani, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has submitted a proposal to the Colombian government to relocate around 80 hippos whose origins trace back to a private zoo once owned by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, rather than proceed with a plan to kill them.

Ambani has requested a suspension of any decision to cull the animals, which have multiplied in Colombian rivers and raised environmental damage concerns as well as safety issues, proposing instead that they be transferred to his wildlife facility “Vantara” in India under a “scientific and safe” rewilding programme.

The “Vantara” centre in the Indian state of Gujarat is considered one of the world’s largest animal rescue and care facilities, housing hundreds of elephants and thousands of animals, including lions, tigers, crocodiles, and bears.

Reports indicate that the centre receives large numbers of animals, including rare and endangered species, which has previously drawn questions from wildlife conservation experts.

The hippos’ presence in Colombia dates back to the 1980s, when Escobar introduced them to his private estate. They later multiplied in the Magdalena River, becoming a concern for authorities after recorded incidents of attacks on fishermen and local residents.

Ambani’s proposal calls for the relocation to be carried out under full veterinary supervision, with the creation of a dedicated natural habitat inside the centre, stressing that the project would comply with conditions set by Colombia.

In his statement, he said the animals “did not choose where they were born or the circumstances they live in today,” adding that providing a humane and safe solution for their rescue represents a moral responsibility when the capacity to do so exists.