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Campaign for giraffe facing death at Copenhagen zoo 'Surplus' giraffe put down at Copenhagen Zoo
(35 minutes later)
Animal rights campaigners are trying to save a healthy young giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo from being destroyed. A bid to save a young giraffe from destruction at Copenhagen Zoo has failed, and the giraffe was put down on Sunday morning.
Thousands of people have signed online petitions appealing for a change of heart over the 18-month-old called Marius, who is due to be put down on Sunday. Thousands of people had signed an online petitions appealing for a change of heart over the 18-month-old called Marius.
The zoo says it has no choice because of European rules to avoid in-breeding. The zoo said it had no choice because of European rules to avoid in-breeding.
Now Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) near Doncaster has contacted Copenhagen Zoo after learning of Marius's plight. Marius was due to be killed by a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, which would contaminate the meat.
It has a state-of-the-art giraffe house with a herd of four male giraffes - one of which came from Copenhagen Zoo in 2012 - and the capacity to take an extra male, the park told the BBC. Two zoos, one in the UK and one in Sweden, had reportedly put in last-ditch offers to take Marius in.
"We have tried to contact Copenhagen to confirm if they are looking to rehome their young giraffe, as this could be a solution that provides a positive outcome for everyone - including Marius," said John Minion, joint managing director of the park. 'Good practice'
A zoo in Sweden - which unlike the YWP is not affiliated to the European Association of Zoos and Animals (EAZA) which oversees the breeding programme - has also reportedly offered to take in Marius. On Saturday Bengt Holst, scientific director at the Danish zoo, defended Marius's destruction, saying his genes were already well represented among giraffes at the zoo.
Bolt gun He told the BBC it was a responsible practice on the part of zoos to manage their animal populations to ensure they remained healthy.
Marius - a doe-eyed, perfectly healthy, 18-month-old giraffe - has been munching in his stall, blissfully unaware that he is about to face his executioner on Sunday, says the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Copenhagen. He could not understand the fuss over Marius, pointing out that, for instance, 700-800 deer are killed every year at a deer park north of Copenhagen to control their numbers.
Bengt Holst, scientific director at the Danish zoo, said Marius's genes were already well represented among giraffes at the zoo. The zoo planned to dissect the animal after it was killed, before feeding it to the tigers and other carnivores.
He could not understand the fuss Marius's impending destruction had generated, pointing out that, for instance, 700-800 deer are killed every year at a deer park north of Copenhagen to control their numbers.
Marius is due to be killed by a bolt gun. The zoo will not use a lethal injection, because that would contaminate the meat.
The zoo plans to dissect the animal after it has been killed, before feeding it to the tigers and other carnivores.
"It would be absolutely foolish to throw away a few hundred kilos of meat," Mr Holst said according to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. "Some is used for research and the rest for food.""It would be absolutely foolish to throw away a few hundred kilos of meat," Mr Holst said according to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. "Some is used for research and the rest for food."
Animal rights campaigners have described the move as barbaric and have accused the zoo of being unethical.Animal rights campaigners have described the move as barbaric and have accused the zoo of being unethical.