Drug Money Does Good?

Hacienda Napoles was once an estate where the world's most notorious drug lord lived. According to the BBC, Colombian cocaine boss Pablo Escobar's home was a fantasy land where there were "concrete dinosaurs, a bullfighting ring and a private zoo that would have made Michael Jackson jealous, with giraffes, elephants, kangaroos and hippopotamuses." After he was gunned down by authorities in 1993, the ranch fell into disrepair. But now, a group of businessmen have turned the Hacienda into a thriving tourist destination.

NPR's Morning Edition reports that 50,000 visitors last year came to see the home. The place that once housed one of the world's most vicious criminals — who was responsible for blowing up an airplane and for killing a presidential candidate — is now a jungle wonderland where people can enjoy warm pools, beautiful scenery and baby animals. One of the park's biggest attractions is Vanessa, a baby hippo. There's even animal noises piped in to give the tour a jungle feeling.

Also on site is an Escobar museum, which the park's administrator says is there to remind folks about the drug kingpin's undeniable role in Colombian history. Though he has a mixed legacy — some saw Escobar as a Robin Hood-like figure because he used some of his riches to give to the poor — at least this last gift was to the people.