(CNN) -- An online petition to save a healthy young giraffe from death has failed, despite thousands of signatures from animal lovers. Copenhagen Zoo said it euthanized the male, named Marius, on Sunday because of a duty to avoid inbreeding. After an autopsy, "Marius" was dismembered in front of a zoo audience that included children, and fed to the zoo's lions. Despite online uproar over the move and reports of last-minute attempts to save the animal, the zoo in the Danish capital said it had no place for Marius in its giraffe herd. http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/09/world/europe/denmark-zoo-giraffe/index.html?iref=allsearch A Danish zoo has euthanized a healthy male giraffe, named Marius, saying it had a duty to avoid inbreeding. This photo of the giraffe was taken on February 7. The 18-month-old giraffe was put down with a bolt gun on Sunday, February 9, according to a zoo spokesman. Protestors demonstrate outside the Copenhagen Zoo against the killing of the giraffe on February 9. After an autopsy the giraffe was dismembered in front of a zoo audience that included children, and fed to the zoo's lions. Visitors to the zoo watch as the giraffe is autopsied and butchered. A zoo vet carries out an autopsy on the giraffe. The giraffe was killed using a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, so that the meat would not be contaminated and could be used to feed the lions and other carnivores. Zoo puts down healthy giraffe "Our giraffes are part of an international breeding program, which has a purpose of ensuring a sound and healthy population of giraffes," Bengt Holst, scientific director at Copenhagen Zoo, told CNN. "It can only be done by matching the genetic composition of the various animals with the available space. ... When giraffes breed as well as they do now, then you will inevitably run into so-called surplus problems now and then."
What's the problem? Lions have to eat, what does it matter if it's a giraffe instead of beef or whatever else they feed them? Presumably the "children" (doesn't say how old they were though) were just at the Zoo and chose to stay and watch the lions being fed. It's not like they forced distressed children to watch a giraffe being hacked up into steaks for the lions is it?
Marius the giraffe killed at Copenhagen zoo despite worldwide protests Young giraffe unsuitable for breeding was shot, dissected in public and then fed to lions despite offers of a new home http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/09/marius-giraffe-killed-copenhagen-zoo-protests Danish zoo that culled giraffe Marius kills four healthy lions THE Danish zoo that made headlines around the world last month by killing a perfectly healthy giraffe has now euthanised a family of lions. The four animals were killed to make way for a new young male lion the zoo that is being brought in as part of its breeding programme. http://news.uk.msn.com/comment-and-...ulled-giraffe-marius-kills-four-healthy-lions In Switzerland sedated bear Life In Switzerland sedated bear The zoo decided to kill the beast, that ... not separated from their parents and not to cause him injury http://ru-facts.com/news/view/33736.html Amazes cruelty and cynicism of those shares, Considering that many zoos the world wanted to save the animals taking them in, all of them equally destroyed them at the big congestion the public including children !! Why European society try to instill bloodthirstiness?
Outrage as Danish zoo kills healthy family of lions http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26745179 Danish zoo that culled giraffe kills family of lions http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26734377
So what? Giraffes are classified as a species of Least concern by the IUCN. There is no real danger of them becoming extinct in the near future. I'm glad the lions got some fresh food.
As long as the people knew what they were about to witness, why would it be unethical? All they were doing is feeding the lions. My guess is that the way they did it was much faster than the lions.......
If they fed lions alredy cooked meat it would be normal But when killed giraffe and on it's watching people and children This is similar Inquisition Middle Ages The people so severely lacking many bright emotion?
They don't feed lions already cooked meat at any zoo I know of. In fact, I've read that it's unhealthy to feed them cooked meat--it loses nutrients. http://www.2ndchance.info/bigcatdiet.htm I just reread the article. The people who were watching did so because they wanted to see the dissection, or they wanted to protest. I don't see anything wrong with it at all. I think it's better to have the dissection in public.
If I was there I could be to see as to feed lions, but I would not look as kill giraffe. And I would not wish what would it saw my son
Then you shouldn't go to a giraffe dissection with your son. From the way I read it, most of the crowd was there specifically to watch the public giraffe dissection. I will admit, I wouldn't have brought my sons to a giraffe dissection when they were young either.
