Colombian authorities have authorized a plan to cull up to 80 hippos descended from animals originally brought to the country by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s.

Environment Minister Irene Vélez announced the decision, citing the need to address threats posed by the feral animals to native species and local villagers. The hippos are descendants of four animals that Escobar imported as part of his private zoo during his reign as a major drug trafficker.

Vélez stated that other population control methods had proven expensive and unsuccessful. Previous efforts included neutering some of the animals and relocating them to zoos, but these measures failed to adequately manage the growing population.

The feral hippos have displaced native species in their adopted Colombian habitat and created safety concerns for local communities. The animals, originally confined to Escobar's estate, have spread throughout the region in the decades since the drug kingpin's death in 1993.

The minister did not specify when the culling operations would begin. The decision represents the latest attempt by Colombian officials to address the ecological and safety challenges posed by this unusual legacy of the country's violent drug trafficking era.