Anant Ambani offers to relocate 80 Colombian hippos to India’s Vantara center

7 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Apr 28

Ambani, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has formally requested Colombia to halt the planned culling and allow the translocation of 80 hippos to Gujarat, India.
The proposal includes veterinary-led capture, transport, and a purpose-designed habitat at Vantara, which already houses hundreds of rescued animals. Colombian hippos, descendants of Pablo Escobar’s zoo, have become an invasive species.
Colombia faces ecological threats from the hippos, prompting culling plans, but animal welfare activists oppose lethal measures. Vantara’s large-scale animal intake has previously drawn criticism from experts and sparked protests.

Is saving invasive hippos more vital than protecting Colombia's endangered native wildlife?

What happens to the 80+ hippos left behind in Colombia after the rescue mission?

Does science support this massive animal airlift as a truly humane option?

With culling planned for late 2026, can this complex hippo airlift happen in time?

Will Escobar's infamous 'cocaine hippos' adapt to India's extreme 40°C heat?