Colombia: In Colombia, Escobar’s Hippos Spawn Another Problem: Wildlife Trafficking

Feb 8, 2022 | Diana María Pachón, Mongabay
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For many people in Doradal, John Aristides Saldarriaga’s hometown, the fishing story is just that: a tall tale. The prevailing rumor is that Saldarriaga had been trying to capture the hippo calf to sell. It’s public knowledge in the area that wildlife traffickers trade in hippos, but the police deny it; they say they haven’t received any reports of such incidents. However, according to one of the traffickers, at least six calves hidden in trucks have passed right in front of the police station.