Osa Archivum Catalog

Pablo's Hippos

Summary: The rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the most notorious of the Colombian drug lords – through the eyes of his pet hippopotamus. A satirical look at Colombia’s bloody and painful recent history. In the mid 1980's, Pablo Escobar was the world's most powerful drug dealer, and the third richest man in the world. He built a two–thousand-acre secure compound, deep in the Colombian jungle, complete with a lavish mansion and guest houses, stables, nightclub, a full-size concrete dinosaur park, and a private zoo housing hundreds of exotic animals, including two hippos that were settled into a man-made lake. Following his assassination in 1994, Escobar's assets were seized by the Colombian Government. 'Hacienda Napoles' was pillaged and destroyed: now only ruins remain and the animals have all disappeared. Except for the hippos. Far from starving to death, they have thrived and multiplied, making local fisherman fear for their lives and livelihoods. Pablo’s Hippos follows the 30-year career of the hippos -from their arrival from Africa through their gradual development into the new lords of the rivers - a parallel to Colombia’s own socio-economic adaptation and survival through 30 years of narco-trafficking and times of civil war and struggle. A story of unimaginable wealth, unabated sex, political intrigue, death, destruction, corruption, treachery and the ultimate legacy of a life dedicated to crime.

Item Type	Current Location	Call Number	Status	Shelving Location	Public Note
DVD-ROM	OSA Film Library	FL Record 2647	Available	-	-
Digital film	OSA Film Library	FL Record 2647 (HU_OSA_10000413.mp4)	Available		Access Copy, MP4 format