<p>A hippopotamus was run over and killed on Colombia's Bogota-Medellin highway, the fire department said, not far from the estate where deceased drug lord Pablo Escobar's introduction of the semiaquatic mammal spawned an invasive species.</p>.<p>The animal, weighing more than a ton, was found lying on the road near a hacienda that belonged to Escobar, Maria Magdalena Perez, commander of the fire department in the northwest municipality of Puerto Triunfo, told <em>AFP</em> on Tuesday night.</p>.<p>The cocaine baron, who was killed in a 1993 shootout with police, had brought a small herd of hippos to Colombia in the late 1980s.</p>.<p>After his death, the animals were left to roam freely in a hot, marshy area of Antioquia department, where environmental authorities have been unable to curb the population, which now stands at 150 animals.</p>.<p>The latest hippo car crash destroyed the front end of a pickup truck, but no people were injured.</p>.<p>"There was only one lad, he is unharmed," said Perez.</p>.<p>A hippo was also involved in a car crash in the same area in December, but firefighters said that animal survived.</p>.<p>Colombia's environment ministry declared the hippos an invasive species last year, which opened the door to an eventual cull.</p>.<p>Earlier efforts at a sterilization program to control the population failed.</p>.<p>Experts warn that the animals' uncontrolled reproduction poses a threat to the local population and wildlife.</p>.<p>In March, the governor of Antioquia announced a plan to transfer 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries in Mexico and India.</p>.<p>The operation is expected to cost $3.5 million and involve transporting the hippos about 150 kilometers (93 miles) by land to the nearest international airport.</p>
<p>A hippopotamus was run over and killed on Colombia's Bogota-Medellin highway, the fire department said, not far from the estate where deceased drug lord Pablo Escobar's introduction of the semiaquatic mammal spawned an invasive species.</p>.<p>The animal, weighing more than a ton, was found lying on the road near a hacienda that belonged to Escobar, Maria Magdalena Perez, commander of the fire department in the northwest municipality of Puerto Triunfo, told <em>AFP</em> on Tuesday night.</p>.<p>The cocaine baron, who was killed in a 1993 shootout with police, had brought a small herd of hippos to Colombia in the late 1980s.</p>.<p>After his death, the animals were left to roam freely in a hot, marshy area of Antioquia department, where environmental authorities have been unable to curb the population, which now stands at 150 animals.</p>.<p>The latest hippo car crash destroyed the front end of a pickup truck, but no people were injured.</p>.<p>"There was only one lad, he is unharmed," said Perez.</p>.<p>A hippo was also involved in a car crash in the same area in December, but firefighters said that animal survived.</p>.<p>Colombia's environment ministry declared the hippos an invasive species last year, which opened the door to an eventual cull.</p>.<p>Earlier efforts at a sterilization program to control the population failed.</p>.<p>Experts warn that the animals' uncontrolled reproduction poses a threat to the local population and wildlife.</p>.<p>In March, the governor of Antioquia announced a plan to transfer 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries in Mexico and India.</p>.<p>The operation is expected to cost $3.5 million and involve transporting the hippos about 150 kilometers (93 miles) by land to the nearest international airport.</p>