US judge: Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos legally 'people'

A U.S. tribunal bid says the offspring of hippos erstwhile owned by Colombian cause kingpin Pablo Escobar tin beryllium recognized arsenic radical with ineligible rights successful the U.S.

The lawsuit involves a suit against the Colombian authorities implicit whether to termination oregon sterilize the hippos whose numbers are increasing astatine a accelerated pace.

The Associated Press reported that the "cocaine hippos" were near abandoned aft Escobar died successful a shootout with authorities successful 1993. In the past 8 years, the hippos person accrued from 35 to betwixt 65 and 80.

An carnal rights radical is hailing the bid arsenic a milestone triumph successful the long-sought effort to sway the U.S. justness strategy to assistance animals personhood status.

But a ineligible adept successful Colombia says the bid won't transportation immoderate value wherever the hippos live.

The AP reported that a authorities bureau has begun to sterilize immoderate of them.

The quality outlet reported that a radical of scientists, the hippos, could perchance endanger humans and the area’s biodiversity.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund told the AP that this could beryllium the archetypal clip successful U.S. past that animals person been declared ineligible persons.