A two-year-old giraffe, Marius, was euthanized Sunday, February 9th, at Copenhagen zoo in Denmark to prevent inbreeding of zoo giraffes. Marius is not the first to be euthanized due to the lack of resources in zoos that cannot feed an influx of animals, but his death has stirred widespread controversy on the treatment of zoo animals. In addition, Copenhagen Zoo is being publically ostracized for the way they euthanized this giraffe, after calling it an “educational viewing”; the giraffe was shot with a bolt gun and then feed to the lions.
Although it is unusual to display the culling of a zoo animal to the public, it is frequent to do in zoo breeding programs and conservation efforts. Often euthanasia is a tool for population management in many European zoos. Throughout the years countless other animals have been euthanized, such as zebras, lions, bison, antelopes, pygmy hippos, and many others but none have gained as much traction as Marius.
Some officials argue that euthanasia is the only option to decreasing the instances of inbreeding. Neutering and the use of contraceptive compromise the daily life of animals and ultimately change their well-being. Even separating males and females for long periods of time has a negative effect on their mating abilities, as seen in rhinos who have been prevented to mate for years and are unable to reproduce when reunited with females.
The widespread knowledge of giraffe euthanasia has resulted in protests and a push for petition signing to stop these killings. Many conservationists have frowned upon the situation and as a result Bengt Holst, the zoo’s scientific director, has received many death threats and many are calling for a boycott of the zoo.
“We cull antelopes and wild boar at the zoo every year for the same reason,” said Bengt Holst to TIME magazine, “I don’t understand the outrage.”
Likewise, in 2010 when officials at Edinburgh zoo in Scotland put down two hog piglets named Sammi and Becca it sparked many protests. In the same year, in Germany, it was ruled that the Magdeburg zoo director and three workers were guilty of violating animal rights law for putting down three tiger cubs.
Conservationist have argued that euthanizing animals to save resources goes against the purpose of zoos, which is to preserve endangered species and repopulate the species through breeding programs. They argue that there are other options.
In the case of Marius many zoos offered to accept the giraffe into their care, but Copenhagen zoo denied for various reasons. While others could not take the giraffe because they already had a sufficient amount of giraffes from Marius’s genetic line or were not an EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) member. Individuals have also offered to buy the giraffe, such as one man who offered 50,000 euros, but the zoo rejected him saying that they could not sell animals to individual people.
Currently in another zoo in Denmark called Jyllands Park zoo they are also considering euthanizing a giraffe also called Marius because he is not useful to the breeding program. Coincidentally this giraffe is the companion of another giraffe, which happens to be the older brother of Marius (killed in Copenhagen). The zoo wants to mate Marius’s brother with a female giraffe, however if this is not possible this Marius will also be euthanized.
