Rania, the famous elephant who lived on drug kingpin Pablo Escobar's old ranch in Colombia, dies aged 70

Rania was rescued from a circus and spent the last 15 years of her life at Hacienda Napoles, in the state that had been built and owned by Escobar in Colombia's Antioquia Department.

The Hacienda Napoles, which has become a tourist attraction since the death of Escobar in 1993 during a shootout with the police, said that Rania had passed away of natural causes on Monday, March 24.

The tourist attraction said: "Rania had been experiencing some health problems associated with age and was gradually becoming debilitated near the mud lake she had enjoyed for several years. Since the early morning, around 3am, when the situation was noticed, park staff tried to revive Rania, but these efforts were unsuccessful, and the elephant died around noon today."

They added: "This is a huge loss for our park, which protected this animal for more than 15 years after it was rescued from a circus, where it arrived with health problems that we have kept under control to this day."

Rania was one of the most beloved animals at the park and lived to be 70 years old, which is the average life expectancy for elephants.

Her final years were spent in the best possible care, the park said.

It added: "We have the peace of mind of having provided her with a good life and care over these years, the same care we will continue to provide for Zimbabwe, our other elephant, who must feel a deeper sadness than ours."

The notorious drug kingpin was also famous for four hippos that he imported and kept in a private menagerie.

They have since multiplied, and measures have been taken to relocate some of them and euthanise others, amid warnings from experts that the uncontrolled reproduction poses a threat to other species in the region.

Story: NewsX