Traffickers steal babies from Pablo Escobar's herd of 'cocaine hippos'

A herd of nearly 200 of the beasts have spawned in the wild after their original four ancestors escaped from the cartel king's compound after he was shot by police in 1993.

Now, say Colombia's wildlife experts, traffickers are snatching cute-looking hippo calves to sell to black market customers.

Cornare Biodiversity and Protected Areas head David Echeverry told local media: "We have received complaints that young have been taken out. We do not know how they have done it but they have been subjected to this scourge of illegal wildlife trade."

Some believe the trade has been encouraged by an online obsession with Moo-Deng, the baby pygmy hippo who became a star after Thai zoo keepers posted videos of her antics.

But experts point out that the Escobar hippo calves will grow to full size - weighing in at more than four tons and nearly 17 feet long. One warned local media: "These animals are unpredictable and can be dangerous."

And Animal Protection and Welfare head July Montoya said: "We are carrying out education and awareness about the issue of trafficking in these species."

The offspring of the original cocaine hippos have spread across Magdalena Medio, in Antioquia Department, often clashing with the human population.

One piece of footage shot on October 6 in Doradal, Antioquia, shows a full-grown hippo running through the streets as terrified locals scream as they flee.

It went on to keep motorists at bay on a nearby motorway as it brought traffic to a halt. A day earlier, reports local media, fishermen living in nearby saw a hippo climbing out of the Magdalena River. Frustrated government officials have ordered the execution of all hippos living wild in the region. They say they are a dangerous invasive species threatening to wipe out local wildlife.

Administrative Court judges in the Colombian capital Cundinamarca have ordered the Environment Ministry to kill off all the animals within three months.

Story: Newsflash