Offspring of Pablo Escobar’s ‘cocaine’ hippos recognised as people by US court

An animal rights groups is hailing the order as a milestone victory in the long-sought efforts to sway the US justice system to grant animals personhood status

Hippos float in the lake at Hacienda Napoles Park, once the private estate of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Picture: Fernando Vergara/AP

The offspring of hippos once owned by Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar can be recognised as people or “interested persons” with legal rights in the US following a US federal court order.

The case involves a lawsuit against the Colombian government over whether to kill or sterilise the hippos whose numbers are growing at a fast pace and pose a threat to biodiversity.