Colombia begins sterilisation of 'cocaine hippos'

And other stories from the stranger side of life

Hippos in Colombia
The hippos reside in Colombia's Magdalena River basin
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Colombian government has started a programme of sterilisation of the country's so-called "cocaine hippos" - descendants of animals illegally brought to the country by late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in the 1980s. The hippos, which spread from Escobar’s estate into nearby rivers where they flourished, "have no natural predators in Colombia and have been declared an invasive species that could upset the ecosystem", said NBC News. Without the sterilisation plan the government estimates the 169 hippos in Colombia, could rise to 1,000 by 2035.

Jaffa Cake vodka launched

Jaffa Cake cranberry-flavoured vodka is up for grabs this Christmas. The "mouth-watering tipple" is made with real Jaffa Cake "combining wonderfully with the excellence of the cranberry notes for a delicious drink", said the Daily Star. According to alcohol experts, you could make a "Jaffa Cake Cosmo", also named the "Santa Clausmopolitan", with the drink. It could be the "ultimate tipple", said the tabloid.

Jogger discovers dinosaur footprint

A jogger has discovered a dinosaur footprint that could be from a 140-million-year-old iguanodon, said experts. Sophie Giles "stumbled across the print" as she jogged in the grounds of Brownsea Castle on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, said The Telegraph. The print had fossilised over thousands of years and had become easier to see after it filled with water during a rain shower.

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