logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2017
30 m

The Wild Hippos of Pablo Escobar

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

When notorious drug kingpin Pable Escobar died, he left behind a legacy of brutal crime, opulent living and, oddly enough, four hippos. Fast forward to the modern day, and experts estimate as many as 50 hippopotamuses may roam free in the lands around Escobar's old estate. So what happens when these 4.5 ton animals decide to make themselves at home in Colombia?

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Aug 23
CLASSIC: The Strange and Spectacularly Disgusting Story of the Great Kentucky Meat Shower
On March 3rd, 1876, residents of Bath County, Kentucky were startled to see what appeared to be chunks and flakes of meat falling from the clear, cloudless sky. The rain, which only lasted a few minutes, captured national attention. People across the country proposed various theo ... Show More
35m 55s
Aug 22
The Ridiculously Energetic History of Energy Drinks!
This episode is brought to you by our favorite cohost: coffee. These days, if you stroll into any convenience store across the planet, you're going to run into a selection of energy drinks -- whether we're talking Red Bull, NOS, Monster, or our favorite pal, the humble cup of joe ... Show More
47m 1s
Aug 19
Japan is Overrun By Raccoons Entirely Due to a Single Cartoon
While the legendary Japanese raccoon dog -- or tanuki -- may look like a raccoon, it's a very different beast. However, these days Japan is home to actual raccoons: they're considered an invasive species, wreaking havoc across the country as they destroy temples, consume crops, a ... Show More
40m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
Pablo Escobar’s Problematic Cocaine Hippos
We all know that Pablo Escobar exported cocaine out of Colombia in record amounts. What a lot of people don't know is that he had some problematic imports into the vibrant nation, as well. Meet Pablo Escobar's hippos. The cocaine cowboy brought what turned out to be an invasive s ... Show More
47m 4s
Sep 2022
Castrating Pablo Escobar's hippos
When drug kingpin Pablo Escobar died in 1993 having built a billion dollar cocaine empire, he left behind a zoo. While his rhinos, giraffes, elephants and kangaroos were re-housed, the hippos were left in Escobar’s abandoned ranch in the Colombian countryside. In 2007 they starte ... Show More
9m 45s
Jan 2022
The Debate About Pablo Escobar's Hippos
Pablo Escobar had a private zoo at his estate in Colombia, with zebras, giraffes, flamingoes - and four hippopotamuses. After Escobar was killed in 1993, most of the animals were relocated except for the so-called "cocaine hippos." Authorities thought they would die but they did ... Show More
14m 5s
Apr 2021
Kingpins: Pablo Escobar
Today, we’re recalling an odd moment in the life of Colombia’s “King of Cocaine,” Pablo Escobar. According to his son, when the family was once holed up in one of Escobar’s hideouts in the mountains of Medellin, his father resorted to drastic measures to keep the family warm. Lea ... Show More
5m 23s
Nov 2023
Hunting Pablo Escobar
By the early 1990s, the Colombian city of Medellín was at the centre of the world's largest drug empire. The fearsome Medellín Cartel, led by the notorious drug lord and narcoterrorist Pablo Escobar, brought murder and mayhem to the city and the world for nearly two decades. In t ... Show More
29m 44s
Nov 2019
Pablo Escobar
He was a modern day Robin Hood, with a vicious bite. Pablo Escobar dreamed of being a millionaire as a small child and with ruthlessness and determination, he killed his way to the top, becoming the Columbian Cartel Kingpin of the 1970-80s. Escobar had a saying, “silver or lead,” ... Show More
44m 34s
Jun 2024
La Vida de Pablo Escobar - The Life of Pablo Escobar
We take you through Pablo Escobar's journey from humble beginnings to becoming the leader of the Medellín Cartel. Discover how he built a billion-dollar empire, his influence in politics, and the violent conflicts that marked his reign. Learn about his complex legacy, both a ... Show More
29m 40s
Nov 2021
The Rise and Recent Capture of Colombia's Most Brutal Narco, Otoniel, w/ Toby Muse
Out there in the jungle, something evil and powerful grows. This is the story of Dairo Antonio Usaga, better known as Otoniel, Colombia’s most wanted drug trafficker for a decade. A communist guerrilla turned right wing death squad leader turned cartel boss, he was known for his ... Show More
1h 7m
Dec 2014
The Cult of Pablo Escobar
Two decades after the death of notorious drug baron Pablo Escobar in 1993, he still looms large in the Colombian psyche. In some quarters, there is an ambivalence towards this ruthless killer, an admiration for the man who made an estimated US $20 billion and built homes for the ... Show More
26m 54s