Federal Magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz

Magistrate Karen Litkovitz

     A few days back I watched a television program about the descendants of Pablo Escobar's hippos that are thriving in the Colombian wild today. Escobar had a private zoo on his estate with zebras, giraffes and four hippopotamuses that he illegally imported in the 1980s. 

     Hippos are notorious in their native Africa as one of the most dangerous animals to humans, but so far there haven't been any deaths attributed to hippo attacks in Colombia. 

     Not counting humans, which animals kill the most humans every year? Occupying the top spot is mosquitoes...they kill 725,000 per year through spreading diseases. Next is snakes (138,000 per year), followed by man's best friend, dogs. They account for over 59,000 deaths per year. 

     Something called Assassin Bugs cause 10,000 per year year. They are a benefit to gardeners because they feed on a wide variety of prey including other bugs, bees, flies, and caterpillars. Prey is captured with a quick stab with the bug's s long mouth parts. After being immobilized by a paralyzing toxin, the prey’s body fluids are then drawn through the assassin bug’s straw-like mouth parts. 

     Assassin bugs like to bite humans, too. They like to bite humans on the face near the lips and eyes (hence they are sometimes known as Kissing Bugs). Their feces can also spread a parasite that causes Chagas disease, a disorder that does damage to major organs and can be fatal if left untreated. It's estimated that 10,000 people a year die from Chagas disease. 

     Next on the list are scorpions which kill 3,300 people per year. Crocodials kill 1,000 people a year and elephants 600. 

     Hippos are next, killing about 500 people per year and the lion, which is probably the most likely animal that we would think would be the number one killer of humans, is only number 10 on the list, accounting for 200 humans per year. But, I have digressed. 

     The hippos in Columbia have a special distinction aside from being descendants of those that belonged to Pablo Escobar.

     With a growing recognition around the world of the personhood and rights of non-human animals, last October Federal Magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz of Cincinnati located in southern Ohio ruled that in courts in the United States Pablo Escobar's hippos can be legally recognized as people. Words to describe the lunacy of this decision escape me.