The history of Pablo Escobar’s famous pet elephant who has died aged 70
An elephant who once had an infamous owner has died of old age.
Raina was rescued from the circus and lived out the last 15 years of her life on Pablo Escobar’s estate before she died on Monday morning, aged 70.
While the drug lord’s pet hippos may have received more publicity over the years for their rapid procreation and attacking the public, Raina was able to live out the end of her life in peace.
Escobar, dubbed the ‘King of Cocaine’, forged a zoo of kangaroos, zebras, and other exotic animals at his lavish estate, which became a tourist attraction after he died in 1993.
Staff at the Hacienda Napoles said Raina had been experiencing health problems as she grew older, and described her death as ‘a huge loss’.
They said in a statement: ‘Rania had been experiencing some health problems associated with age and was gradually becoming debilitated near the mud lake she had enjoyed for several years.
‘Since the early morning, around 3 am, when the situation was noticed, park staff tried to revive Rania, but these efforts were unsuccessful, and the elephant died around noon today.
‘This is a huge loss for our park, which protected this animal for more than 15 years after it was rescued from a circus, where it arrived with health problems that we have kept under control to this day.
‘We have the peace of mind of having provided her with a good life and care over these years, the same care we will continue to provide for Zimbabwe, our other elephant, who must feel a deeper sadness than ours.’
Hacienda Napoles described Raina as a ‘large elephant with an even bigger heart’.
They said she had spent 20 years in the circus world, dazzling audiences with her tricks, but behind the scenes she was chained up, limiting her mobility and wellbeing.
After the Colombian government banned the use of animals in circus shows in 2013, the circus donated Raina to Hacienda Napoles so she could relax in her retirement.
Despite no longer being on show in the circus, Raina still remembered some of the tricks she was taught in the circus, and could be seen repeating movements or movements from her previous routines.
The zoo at Hacienda Napoles is one of six parks forming the theme park complex, off the highway about 155miles northwest of the Colombian capital of Bogota.
It also features a water park, a food court, several themed hotels, and museums which teach visitors about African history and culture.
Escobar built a Spanish colonial house, sculpture park, and zoo on the 7.7square mile estate, later adding a private airport, a brothel, and even a Formula 1-racing track.
He kept a large collection of vintage and luxury cars and motorbikes on the estate, and the hacienda’s entrance gate features a replica of a Piper PA-18 Super Cub airplane.
After Escobar was killed by police in 1993, his family entered a lengthy legal battle with the Colombian government over the future of the property.
The government won, with the now-neglected estate taken over by the Municipality of Puerto Triunfo back in 2006. Most of the animals in the estate’s zoo were donated to various other zoos across South America as the maintenance bill was too high.
Parque Temático Hacienda Nápoles first opened in 2014 as a Jurassic Park-style theme park.
The four hippos kept by Escobar were deemed too difficult to seize and move following his death, instead being left to multiply and run riot in the local area.
An invasive species, it’s been estimated that their population could reach 1,000 by 2035. There are plans for some of the descendants of Escobar’s hippos to be sterilised, euthanised, or transferred abroad.
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