Anant Ambani offers to relocate 80 Colombian hippos after culling plan sparks debate
Indian businessman Anant Ambani has proposed relocating dozens of free-roaming hippopotamuses from Colombia to his wildlife sanctuary in India, urging authorities to reconsider plans to cull the animals, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The offer comes after Colombia announced plans to eliminate up to 80 hippos, whose growing population has raised concerns over risks to local communities and ecosystems. The animals are descendants of those brought to the country in the 1980s by drug lord Pablo Escobar.
"These eighty hippos did not choose where they were born, nor did they create the circumstances they now face," he said. "They are living, sentient beings, and if we have the ability to save them through a safe and humane solution, we have a responsibility to try."
Ambani, founder of Vantara and son of the chairman and CEO of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), added that relocation could balance conservation and safety concerns.
"Compassion and public safety are not opposing forces. With sound science and careful planning, it may be possible to protect riverine communities, preserve ecosystems and save animal life. Vantara has the expertise, infrastructure and resolve to support this effort, entirely on Colombia's terms," he explained.
According to reports, Ambani’s Vantara has formally requested that Colombia delay the culling while an alternative plan is assessed. The center has offered to present a scientific and operational proposal for relocating the animals to its facility in Gujarat, which houses thousands of rescued species.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the Colombian government has authorized a plan to cull up to 80 free-roaming hippopotamuses, citing growing risks to local communities and ecosystems.
