“A herd of hippopotamuses once owned by the late Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar has been taking over the countryside near his former ranch – and no-one quite knows what to do with them.”

Source: www.bbc.com

An important idea in biogeography is the concept of invasive species. An invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous to an area but causes great economic or environmental harm to the new area as it quickly adapts and alters the ecosystem.   Colombia’s hippopotamus herd certainly qualifies as an interesting example to share with students of unintended ecological consequences that occur through human and environmental interactions.  For further explorations into invasive species, see this National Geographic lesson plan.   

 

Tags: biogeography, environment, ecology, Colombia, National Geographic.