Colombia plans to cull hippos that are descended from those cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar imported

Colombian officials announced a plan to kill off dozens of hippos that are freely roaming the country, threatening villages and native species. 

The hippos are descendants of four that were imported illegally in the 1980s by cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar for his private zoo. Security forces killed Escobar in 1993. 

Previous methods to control the exploding hippo population have failed, according to CBS News. About 80 of the "cocaine hippos" are to be killed during the program. 

Colombia is the only country outside of Africa with a wild hippo population, and they have no natural predators. The animals are threatening villagers who encounter them on farms and rivers, and the hippos compete for food against local species. 

Worldwide, hippos kill about 500 people every year.