Hacienda Nápoles
Coordinates: 5°55′33.60″N 74°43′18.57″W / 5.9260000°N 74.7218250°W
| Medellín Cartel |
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Hacienda Nápoles (Spanish for Naples city in Italy) is the luxurious estate built and owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in Puerto Triunfo, Antioquia (320 km (200 mi) NW of Bogotá), and 180 km (111 miles) east of Medellin. The estate covers about 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) of land.
History
The estate included a Spanish colonial house, a sculpture park, and a complete zoo that included many kinds of animals from different continents such as antelope, elephants, exotic birds, giraffes, hippopotami, ostriches, and ponies. The ranch also boasted a large collection of old and luxury cars and bikes, a private airport, and even a kart racing track. Mounted atop the hacienda's entrance gate is a replica of the Piper airplane (tail number HK-617-P) which transported Escobar's first shipment of cocaine to the United States.[1]
Following Escobar's death in 1993, his family entered a legal struggle with the Colombian government over the property. The government prevailed, and the neglected property is now managed by the Municipality of Puerto Triunfo.
The cost of maintenance for the zoo and the animals was too expensive for the government, so it was decided that most of the animals would be donated to Colombian and international zoos. The hacienda's zoo still hosts bison, a rare goat, one ostrich, and zebras. Escobar's hippopotami have escaped and become feral, living in at least four lakes in the area and spreading into neighbouring rivers. Contacts between the hippos and local fishermen have led to calls for the hippo population to be culled. By 2011, there were at least 30 animals wild in the countryside; the large number of hippos makes it difficult to find zoos into which they can be resettled.[2]
Various features
- Mounted atop the estate's entrance gate is a replica of Escobar's first plane, a Piper airplane (tail number HK-617-P), which transported the first shipment of cocaine that Escobar delivered to the United States.[3](See image.)
- There are some dinosaur statues[4] built with bones in a section of the estate, along with pre-historic animal statues (such as the mammoth, that children can climb and play on), as well as decommissioned military vehicles, and a giant hand sculpture.[5]
- As of June 2014, the park's mascot, a live female hippo named Vanessa (who responds to her name), remains at the hacienda.[6]
- The estate boasts a private bullring. (See image.)
Recent years
In September 2006, there was a rumor about building an anti-crime museum about Pablo Escobar, a jail, and a theme park. The jail is currently under construction, and the dinosaur park has been restored.
By November 2006, the property ownership passed to the Colombian government and was valued at 5 billion Colombian pesos (Approx $2.23 million U.S. dollars).[7]
References
- ↑ Arbuckle, Alex Q. (August 29, 1989). "Hacienda Nápoles: What do you buy the drug lord who has everything? A zoo".
- ↑ Kremer, William (June 26, 2014). "Pablo Escobar’s hippos: A growing problem". BBC News Magazine. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ↑ Arbuckle, Alex Q. (August 29, 1989). "Hacienda Nápoles: What do you buy the drug lord who has everything? A zoo".
- ↑ Arbuckle, Alex Q. (August 29, 1989). "Hacienda Nápoles: What do you buy the drug lord who has everything? A zoo".
- ↑ Arbuckle, Alex Q. (August 29, 1989). "Hacienda Nápoles: What do you buy the drug lord who has everything? A zoo".
- ↑ Kremer, William (June 26, 2014). "Pablo Escobar’s hippos: A growing problem". BBC News Magazine.
- ↑ "LA HACIENDA NAPOLES AHORA ES PROPIEDAD DEL ESTADO COLOMBIANO". Presidencia.gov.co (in Spanish). September 2009. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014.