Some might say that it is fitting that a large part of Colombia’s most vicious drug dealer’s legacy is that he left one of the world’s most deadly mammals behind.

When Pablo Escobar was a driving force in the black market, he lived in a huge estate, Hacienda Napoles, onto which he originally brought in four hippos.

Over the years, that number increased to 40. The large, river dwelling animals kill 3,000 people every year in Africa, according to the African Wildlife foundation, and yet have thrived in Colombia’s most important river, the Magdalena River.

Despite the potential for disaster, locals have actually embraced the beasts, partially due to the influx of tourism dollars they have brought. After being seized in 1993, Escobar’s sprawling estate was turned into a theme park and tour of the kingpin’s history. Hanging over the entrance is the first plane Escobar used to transport drugs.

A collection of vintage cars, many of which were destroyed by his enemies during brutal fighting, line the outside of a house that serves as a museum to the “King of Cocaine,” highlighting the various assassinations and terrorist attacks he ordered. One of the biggest attractions, however, is the hippos. People travel to see these humongous animals far from their natural habitat.

In 2009, the government ordered the killing of one of the descendants of Escobar’s four original hippos, Pepe, sparking public outcry. Despite the outrage, the government claims that all of the proposed alternative solutions to this point, including relocation or castration of males, are too dangerous or costly to prove effective.

Now, 10 more hippos have escaped and are living in the Magdalena along 1,000 miles of river and dense forest. The government has asked for help locating them, but some of the public won’t comply unless they know the hippos will be handled humanely.

“If they come looking for them to kill them, I’ll say “No, I haven’t seen them,” fisherman Hector Alzman said.

CCTV America’s Toby Muse reports from Hacienda Napoles to shine light on the African mammal’s strange Colombian past and their uncertain, tumultuous future.

Hippos left behind by Pablo Escobar face uncertain future

Some might say that it is fitting that a large part of Colombia’s most vicious drug dealer’s legacy is that he left one of the world’s most deadly mammals behind. When Pablo Escobar was a driving force in the black market, he lived in a huge estate, Hacienda Napoles, onto which he originally brought in four hippos.