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Image: Shurin Lab / UC San Diego
While many of us have probably read about Pablo Escobar’s hippos that escaped his zoo, it’s been unclear to biologists what sort of impact the hippos have had on Colombian ecosystems. There are currently 80-100 animals in the Magdalena River and researchers estimate that in 20-40 years there could be thousands.
As NatGeo explained, for over a decade the Colombian government has been pondering how to best curb the growing population, a strategy largely supported by conservation experts. But not everyone is on board. Without direct evidence that the animals are doing harm, some ecologists argue that there’s no reason to cull or relocate them.
However now, UC San Diego biologist Jonathan Shurin who has been working with the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia has been measuring the hippos’ impact on their new realm and has some new insights to report. Mainly, that it’s complicated!
“The effects of hippos on the aquatic environment that we observe,” the researchers wrote in the journal Ecology, “suggest that sustained population growth poses a threat to water quality in lakes and rivers as they expand their range throughout Magdalena Medio watershed and potentially colonize new regions on the Caribbean slope of Colombia.”
What’s The Plan: As the LA Times noted, at present, though, there is no strategy to keep this population in check. Colombian officials told Shurin there was no money to fund a sterilization campaign, and the locals are opposed to culling the herd.
Why This Matters: Smaller invasive species are generally viewed as disruptive (or even disastrous) to local ecosystems, but we’re still learning about the impacts that larger invasive species have on their new homes. In the case of Australia’s camels, their herds have been slated for culling by the government, but it’s hard to assess this decision as the Australian government has overestimated kangaroo populations to justify cruel “roo culls.” Humans have altered the distribution of nature so profoundly that it’s difficult to know what’s what. The best we can do is use data and science to help manage nature in a good-faith way.
Dogs are usually balls of joy but even man’s best friend can get stressed. Do you know how to spot the signs of a nervous, stressed, or otherwise unhappy dog? Take it from a canine behaviorist. Also, coronavirus can infect cats — dogs, not so much. But scientists say it’s unclear whether felines can spread the virus to […]
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The Washington Post did a beautiful piece on the importance of preserving wildlife corridors in the face of climate change and other man-made threats. Interstate 80 is a vital transportation link that connects the east and west coasts, but it also blocks the historic migration routes through the Rocky Mountains for mule deer, elk, and pronghorn — some of the most iconic species of wildlife in the American West.
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China has taken “concrete steps” to close its “wet” or wildlife markets and now Vietnam is following suit, according to Sierra, the magazine of the environmental group The Sierra Club.
Why This Matters: The world has faced many major pandemics, such as SARS and now COVID-19, that are believed to have been spread from human contact with wild animals.
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