Indian billionaire’s son offers to house Pablo Escobar’s hippos at his private zoo
Anant Ambani, son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has revived an offer to relocate approximately 80 descendants of Pablo Escobar's hippos from Colombia to his private Vantara animal sanctuary in Gujarat, India, to prevent their culling. The hippos, originally imported by the drug lord for his estate, have multiplied and become an environmental hazard in Colombia due to unchecked population growth. Ambani claims the sanctuary can provide a humane and permanent solution, though the plan faces logistical, regulatory, and ethical challenges. The Colombian government has yet to approve the translocation, which would be costly and complex.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Hippos float in the lagoon at the Hacienda Nápoles theme park, once the private estate of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar who imported three female hippos and one male decades ago. Photograph: Fernando Vergara/APView image in fullscreenHippos float in the lagoon at the Hacienda Nápoles theme park, once the private estate of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar who imported three female hippos and one male decades ago. Photograph: Fernando Vergara/APColombiaIndian billionaire’s son offers to house Pablo Escobar’s hippos at his private zooAnant Ambani revives offer to transport 80 animals, all descendants of Colombian drug kingpin’s pets, to IndiaHannah Ellis-Petersen in DelhiWed 29 Apr 2026 03.00 EDTLast modified on Wed 29 Apr 2026 03.01 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleIt remains one of the…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at the Guardian.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from the Guardian
