May 1 (UPI) -- The government of Colombia has formally asked India to assess whether to authorize relocation of 80 hippos to a conservation center in that country as an alternative to culling part of the invasive population, the Ministry of Environment said.
The request, sent Thursday, considers possible transfer of the animals to the Vantara wildlife rescue center in the state of Gujarat, western India, which has offered to receive them.
The relocation proposal was put forward by billionaire Indian businessman Anant Ambani as an alternative to the euthanasia of some of the animals.
The decision to carry out euthanasia is part of the government's strategy to control the growing hippo population, after authorities warned it could reach 1,000 by 2035.
Related
