Anant Ambani, son of Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani, has revived an offer to bring 80 of Colombia’s feral hippos to his Vantara animal sanctuary in Gujarat, as Colombia weighs a mass extermination plan for the animals [1]. The hippos are descendants of animals Pablo Escobar imported into Colombia before his death in 1993, and they have since multiplied in the wild [1].
Ambani said the hippos are “living, sentient beings” and argued that if people can save them through a safe and humane solution, they have a duty to try [1]. In his latest statement, he said he had appealed directly to the Colombian government for a “safe, scientifically led translocation” that would bring the 80 animals to a permanent home [1].
Vantara, in Gujarat, houses more than 150,000 animals, according to the report [1]. The sanctuary has faced allegations over illegal and unethical sourcing, accusations it denies [1].
The idea of moving the hippos is not new. A similar plan to relocate 60 of the animals to the sanctuary was first proposed in 2023 [1]. The renewed offer surfaced in a report published by The Guardian on 2026-04-29 [1].
