Escaped hippo once belonging to Pablo Escobar killed in horror highway crash

A 'cocaine hippo' from drug kingpin Pablo Escobar's herd of illegal zoo animals has been killed in a horrific highway crash on Tuesday, local police have confirmed.

The hippopotamus was (thankfully) killed instantly after it was struck by an SUV on Tuesday.

The creature had wandered onto the highway, much to the horror of passing motorists who were moving too quickly to stop, in the northwest section of road highway between the cities of Bogotá and Medellín, Colombian Police said as per NBC.

The deadly crash occurred not far from Escobar’s vast Hacienda estate, where his original zoo animals were kept.

The hippos, which have spread from the drug lord's former property and into the nearby rivers of

Scientists fear the herd of 100 or so hippos could harm the local ecosystem and have declared them an invasive species in Colombia.

The crash late Tuesday reflected the additional danger that hippos, which weigh as much as 2 tons, can pose to motorists.

The vehicle occupants were unharmed in the accident in the northwest on a highway from Bogotá to Medellín, police said.

The hippo was removed from the scene and taken by officials for analysis and test on the animal, which proved to be a rare chance to come into contact with the usually incredibly aggressive creatures.

"This is one of the dangers that the presence of this species represents. Many of them cross the highway where many vehicles pass, it is also a danger to people,” said

Cornare biologist David Echeverri López warned people to be alert and vigilant on the roads.

"This is one of the dangers that the presence of this species represents," he said.

"Many of them cross the highway where many vehicles pass, it is also a danger to people."

He added: "Hippos are unpredictable, at any moment they can attack a person."

So, even though Escobar has been dead for more than 30 years, he's still causing the Colombian government a huge headache.

Like any drug kingpin who was worth his salt - or weight in cocaine, feel free to choose your measurement - Escobar lived a lavish lifestyle.

In the '80s, he built the biggest cocaine empire on the planet, all the while building his own personal zoo on the side.

Topics: Pablo Escobar, Animals, Weird, World News, News

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

@rlangjournalist