[bob351]

Copenhagen Zoo kills giraffe, Marius, to prevent inbreeding
Warning: story may contain graphic image and details

Saying it needed to prevent inbreeding, the Copenhagen Zoo killed a two-year-old giraffe and fed its remains to lions as visitors watched, ignoring a petition signed by thousands and offers from other zoos and a private individual to save the animal.

'I'm actually proud because I think we have given children a huge understanding of the anatomy of a giraffe that they wouldn't have had from watching a giraffe in a photo.'
- zoo spokesman Tobias Stenbaek Bro
Marius, a healthy male, was put down Sunday using a bolt pistol, said zoo spokesman Tobias Stenbaek Bro. Visitors, including children, were invited to watch while the giraffe was then skinned and fed to the lions.

Marius' plight triggered a wave of online protests and renewed debate about the conditions of zoo animals. Before the giraffe was killed, an online petition to save it had received more than 20,000 signatures.

Toronto Zoo giraffe, Ginetta, dies
But the public feeding of Marius' remains to the lions was popular at Copenhagen Zoo. Stenbaek Bro said it allowed parents to decide whether their children should watch what the zoo regards as an important display of scientific knowledge about animals.

"I'm actually proud because I think we have given children a huge understanding of the anatomy of a giraffe that they wouldn't have had from watching a giraffe in a photo," Stenbaek Bro said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

He said the zoo, which now has seven giraffes left, followed the recommendation of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria to put down Marius by because there already were a lot of giraffes with similar genes in the organization's breeding program.

The Amsterdam-based EAZA has 347 members, including many large zoos in European capitals, and works to conserve global biodiversity and achieve the highest standards of care and breeding for animals.

Zoos don't own animals

Stenbaek Bro said EAZA membership isn't mandatory, but most responsible zoos are members of the organization.

He said his zoo had turned down offers from other ones to take Marius and an offer from a private individual who wanted to buy the giraffe for 500,000 euros (about $750,000 Cdn).


People protest outside Copenhagen Zoo where Marius was put down. (Rasmus Flindt Pedersen/POLFOTO/Associated Press)

Stenbaek Bro said a significant part of EAZA membership is that the zoos don't own the animals themselves, but govern them, and therefore can't sell them to anyone outside the organization that doesn't follow the same set of rules.

He also said it is important for the breeding programs to work.

Bengt Holst, Copenhagen Zoo's scientific director, said it turned down an offer from Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Britain, which is a member of EAZA, because Marius' older brother lives there and the park's space could be better used by a "genetically more valuable giraffe."

Yorkshire Wildlife Park said it called the zoo on Saturday with a last-minute offer to house Marius in a new giraffe house with room for an extra male. It said it was saddened by the killing of Marius, but "without knowing the full details it would be inappropriate to comment further."

Copenhagen Zoo also turned down an offer from a zoo in northern Sweden, because it was not an EAZA member and didn't want to comply with the same high standards, Holst said.

"I know the giraffe is a nice looking animal, but I don't think there would have been such an outrage if it had been an antelope, and I don't think anyone would have lifted an eyebrow if it was a pig," said Holst.

Animal rights groups concerned

Copenhagen Zoo doesn't give giraffes contraceptives or castrate them because that could have unwanted side effects on their internal organs, and the zoo regards parental care as important, said Holst.

EAZA said it supported the zoo's decision to "humanely put the animal down and believes strongly in the need for genetic and demographic management within animals in human care."

However, the organization Animal Rights Sweden said the case highlights what it believes zoos do to animals regularly.

"It is no secret that animals are killed when there is no longer space, or if the animals don't have genes that are interesting enough," it said in a statement. "The only way to stop this is to not visit zoos."

"When the cute animal babies that attract visitors grow up, they are not as interesting anymore," said the organization.

Elisa Allen, spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in the U.K., said Marius' case should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who "still harbours the illusion that zoos serve any purpose beyond incarcerating intelligent animals for profit."

She said in a statement, "Giraffes rarely die of old age in captivity, and had Marius not been euthanized today, he would have lived out his short life as a living exhibit, stranded in a cold climate, thousands of miles away from his true home."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/copenha...ding-1.2529522

[Nick_ufc]

You heartless bunch of fucking cunts.

[Clubhouse]

About 15 people gathered outside the zoo when it opened this morning to protest the giraffe’s death. After he was killed, technicians performed an autopsy for research purposes that was open to the public, before breaking down the body to be served to its carnivores.


http://world.time.com/2014/02/09/mar...openhagen-zoo/

[Clubhouse]

Elisa Allen, spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in the U.K., said Marius' case should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who "still harbours the illusion that zoos serve any purpose beyond incarcerating intelligent animals for profit." She said in a statement, "Giraffes rarely die of old age in captivity, and had Marius not been euthanized today, he would have lived out his short life as a living exhibit, stranded in a cold climate, thousands of miles away from his true home."


And this^^^^^ I see no purpose in zoos anymore....The excuse that they help prevent extinction is nonsense....Most endangered species have conservation and protection programs in place in their natural domains , I prefer to donate to those.

[bob351]

Originally Posted by Clubhouse ↗

Elisa Allen, spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in the U.K., said Marius' case should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who "still harbours the illusion that zoos serve any purpose beyond incarcerating intelligent animals for profit." She said in a statement, "Giraffes rarely die of old age in captivity, and had Marius not been euthanized today, he would have lived out his short life as a living exhibit, stranded in a cold climate, thousands of miles away from his true home."


And this^^^^^ I see no purpose in zoos anymore....The excuse that they help prevent extinction is nonsense....Most endangered species have conservation and protection programs in place in their natural domains , I prefer to donate to those.

I think it depends on the zoo and the animals, there are many animals I think are acceptable to keep in zoos, however large mammals such as giraffes, rhinos, elephants, hippos and such should not.

Also most zoos should be shut down, however there are some zoos that provide incredible care to their animals and provide invaluable help to certain species... for example the black footed ferret at the toronto zoo. They would be extinct by now but instead are being re introduced into the wild.

Zoos can also provide sanctuary to animals but when shit like this happens it tarnishes responsible zoos reputation around the world.

[Darkest Angel]

They could have found a way around the red tape to sell the giraffe instead of the slaughter. $750,000 could have fed the lions quite nicely. This is an outrage!

[Iliketurtles]

Should of sold it to the group who wanted to buy. Why the fuck not?

[Pigeon]

I understand why they couldn't keep the giraffe, but putting it down wasn't the only way to deal with that.

I have no problem with them using the body to teach kids about giraffe anatomy and feeding it meat to the lions, though.

[Pyramid_Head]

Shut that zoo down. Another case of a zoo treating it's animals like they're lifeless props.

[Shakey]

I imagine it costs a fortune to feed the lions and tigers so it became a business decision.