The Unexpected Fallout of Pablo Escobar’s Bizarre Spoils

COLOMBIA HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE PABLO ESCOBAR’S BLOODY REIGN AS COCAINE KING. BUT HIS OUTLANDISH POSSESSIONS ARE MAKING THEIR MARK EVEN TODAY.

Pablo Escobar’s hippos have bred and their population continues to grow, from two in the 1980s to as many as 60 today.

Pablo Escobar flaunted his immense fortune by building a vast, luxury estate in the hills near Medellin. Without the clear evidence of criminality needed to arrest Escobar and secure a meaningful conviction, police and government officials could do little more than scour the perimeter of the ranch.

Known as the “Hacienda Napoles”, this luxury, 10-million-dollar complex housed the largest zoo in Colombia. It was so vast Escobar built a new road system on his estate to allow guests to travel more easily from one side to the other. DEA agent, Mike Vigil remembers taking a visit:

“As you entered the area there was a long road and then to the right you started to see all these exotic animals – you had rhinoceros, hippopotamus, giraffes, he had elephants.

Then he had his ranch to the left-hand side and right next to it was a long airstrip that could accommodate Lear jets. And he had huge fuel tanks at one end that were used to refuel the aircraft. The ranch had about nine man-made lakes. He had all kinds of slides, water slides and life-sized dinosaurs made out of fibreglass.”

Escobar is long dead. But to this day, the descendants of the pet hippos he imported from Africa continue to populate the hillsides of Antioquia province. They have no natural predators in Colombia, so the hippos are thriving. There are estimated to be at least between 50 and 60 of them, possibly more.

DEA Agent Mike Vigil

Conditions for the hippos are perfect. They love the slow-moving river and the shallows, where they can wallow in the mud. The rains come regularly, meaning there is rarely drought – unlike in Africa. ‘The Old Man’ – the alpha male of the Hacienda hippos – and his harem are living a life of luxury.

Taking in this bizarre spectacle at the time, it was vital to remember where the money to build such an incredible place came from, as Mike Vigil reflects:

“When I saw this, you know, opulent ranch it made me angry because I knew that the mortar and concrete of that entire structure had come from blood money. A lot of people had died and given up their blood in order for him to have the wealth that he did and built this extravagant lifestyle for him and his family.”

Pablo Escobar’s rise and fall is explored in depth in Real Narcos, which traces Escobar’s life and criminal career from childhood all the way through to his ultimate demise. Subscribe to Real Narcos to hear the full story from the perspective of the real DEA agents on Escobar’s tail.