‘Animals on Drugs’ Exclusive Clip: Did Pablo Escobar Really Feed His Pet Hippos Cocaine?

As if real-life hippos weren’t far enough of a cry from their sweet cartoon counterparts — polar opposites from Madagascar’s Gloria or The Backyardigans’ Tasha — Discovery Channel’s brand new series Animals on Drugs showcases the beasts in even more terrifying light. In the third episode of the three-part series, host Forrest Galante tracks down drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s infamous cocaine hippos, which escaped from his abandoned estate in Medellín, Colombia after his death over three decades ago.

“[Escobar’s] empire wasn’t just built on fear and wealth,” Galante said in the clip. “It thrived on excess. Among his many indulgences were exotic animals, including a group of hippos, which escaped after his death in 1993.”

After their escape, the feral hippos began to multiply near their original home at Hacienda Nápoles. Now, they proliferate all around Colombia’s Magdalena River Basin.

“Without predators, they’ve thrived here in the Magdalena River Basin,” Galante said. “What started as just four hippos has ballooned into nearly 200.”

Such a population boom creates an invasive species, “displacing native wildlife, destroying habitats and even endangering human lives,” Galante said. The chilling footage featured in the clip shows the invaders chasing after people and boats in quite the nightmarish manner.

Why are they called “cocaine hippos,” you ask? Galante explains why Colombian locals refer to the aggressive creatures as such.

“Rumors swirl about Escobar feeding his pets coca leaves to fuel their rage and ultimately consume his rivals,” Galante said.

Yikes. Could the rumors be true? Animals on Drugs follows Galante, a wildlife biologist and rare species expert, to Medellín, where he digs deep into the plethora of mystery surrounding these vicious animals.

“In my most dangerous investigation yet, the Colombian government has asked for my help to deal with these invasive giants and find out if it’s possible to bring balance back to this fragile ecosystem without destroying the creatures that have become an unlikely symbol of one of history’s darkest chapters,” he said.

Tune in to Animals on Drugs on Discovery Channel or discovery+ tonight. All three parts of the series drop at 8 p.m. ET/PT.