One of the most recognizable quotes from Shakespeare- “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”- sure seems apropos at this time.
A seven- year-old giraffe, coincidentally named Marius (pictured) located at the Jyllands Park Zoo, Denmark, may be slated to be killed when a female giraffe arrives at their park in the near future.
The reason for the culling is inbreeding again- the same explanation given for the killing of the other Marius this past Sunday at the Copenhagen Zoo.
There was a huge outcry and protest from people around the globe. I believe what made the death of Marius even more stunning was his age, the manner in which he was destroyed and dissected in front of an audience and later fed to lions and tigers.
Copenhagen Zoo makes no apologies for what they did and have stated they kill 20-30 antelopes, llamas, goats and other animals yearly. According to EAZA (European Association for Zoos and Aquaria), five giraffes have been killed in European zoos since 2005.
Jyllands Park Zoo agreed with Copenhagen zoo’s decision to kill the 18-month old giraffe on February 9th.
The Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS) believes at least 7,500 animals are considered surplus animals at European zoos. Liz Tyson, director of CAPS, says surplus animals are a problem for zoos. “The sad truth is that in many cases, zoo animals are bred simply to attract visitors and pressure on space and resources means that some will bedisposed of or killed at the end of the season.”
U.S. zoos and European zoos have a philosophical difference pertaining to their methods of dealing with contraception and the euthanization of surplus of animals.
“In the American zoo system, contraception is favored, administered to giraffes by serving hormones in their feed. Many in the U.S. see this as a better approach because it prevents zoos reaching the carrying capacity in the first place, allowing for better care overall. Euthanasia is not accepted on an emotional or ethical level.
By contrast, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) avoids the contraception approach because preventing animals their natural mating ritual can lead to serious behavioral issues and destructive behavior. In some cases, the use of birth control may lead to issues in the reproductive tract such as infection and cancer. So European zoos allow their animals to mate and raise their young in order to try and maintain more “normal” behavior in their adults, and euthanize the offspring when they grow up. Proponent of this strategy state that it mimics the scenario in the wild, where many offspring die from predation, starvation or injury.”
The Columbus (Ohio) Zoo is offering $100,000 to help save Marius’s from death. The zoo is advocating members of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums to devise a plan that would involve a non-lethal manner to deal with unwanted animals.
The bottomline is zoos in Europe routinely kill animals. The question: Why do we need zoos?
Liz Tyson has a solution- stop visiting zoos. I agree.
your last sentence says it all. Don’t patronize zoos. They’re not humane. Wild animals belong out in the wild not held captive.
You have got to be kidding!
What about all of the animals that are killed in shelters every day in the states. Are we really any better?
Disgusting and so sad.
This sheds light on the plight of zoo animals. They aren’t treated well and in the end, are murdered because they’re no longer cute, don’t want inbreeding or they become too old. Don’t visit zoos!
Thisis wrong on so many levels. Killing a zoo animal that people go to visit is cruel. It proves their lives don’t matter. If they did, they would try in vain to keep the girafft alive by any means possible. Now people can see what zoos are really like.
Lucky me I found your site by chance, and I am shocked about this twist of fate for this young giraffe. Very sad, indeed. We don’t seem to hold animals’ lives in high regard. Killing a giraffe in public and performing a necropsy on a zoo animal that people visited seems quite demented and disturbing on so many levels.
Did you know they killed a few lions at the same zoo. Probably the same lions who were fed this giraffe. Sick.
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