WTF is Going On?

How Colombia's cocaine hippos are living la vida loca

Like a Roman emperor, Pablo Escobar brought wild animals to his hacienda from Africa — lion, zebra, giraffe and three hippos. The hippos are still there

12 December 2021 - 00:03

Cocaine hippos are a thing. Not the thing you imagine. That is if your imagination turns to bizarre newfangled ways to transport the Colombian marching powder across state borders. The cocaine hippos I speak of are, in fact, the remnants of Pablo Escobar’s menagerie.

The cocaine hippos that got away. At his hacienda, which now operates as a kind of Graceland for aficionados of Narcos and all things Escobar (a Powderland if you like), El Patron kept more than 250 species of wild animals...

This article is reserved for Sunday Times subscribers.

A subscription gives you full digital access to all Sunday Times content.

Already subscribed? Simply sign in below.

Registered on the BusinessLIVE, Business Day or Financial Mail websites? Sign in with the same details.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.