‘I was terrified’: the vet sterilizing Pablo Escobar’s cocaine hippos

The progeny of animals brought illegally to Colombia and kept in the drug lord's private zoo must now be put on birth control

When Gina Paola Serna studied to become a biologist and veterinarian in Colombia, she never expected to one day be tasked with neutering an invasive herd of hippos that once belonged to Pablo Escobar.

When they were smuggled into the drug lord's private zoo in the 1980s, there were just four hippos. But in the 26 years since Escobar's death, their numbers have steadily grown : the herd now includes about 80 animals - threatening to disrupt ecosystems in Colombia. So now, Serna spends her days tracking and sterilizing the hulking riverine mammals.