Colombia launches plan to cull invasive hippo population

Colombia's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development on Monday launched a plan to cull the country's hippopotamus population for the first time in 40 years.

The government has earmarked some 7.2 billion Colombian pesos to carry out the plan starting in the second half of 2026, Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Irene Velez told a press conference in Bogota. Officials aim to reduce the population of hippos, currently estimated at 200, by at least half, and to manage herd growth in areas conducive to reproduction, she added.