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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| 'Surplus' giraffe put down at Copenhagen Zoo | 'Surplus' giraffe put down at Copenhagen Zoo |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A bid to save a young giraffe from destruction at Copenhagen Zoo has failed, and the giraffe was put down on Sunday morning. | 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 had signed an online petitions appealing for a change of heart over the 18-month-old called Marius. | Thousands of people had signed an online petitions appealing for a change of heart over the 18-month-old called Marius. |
| The zoo said it had 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. |
| Marius was due to be killed by a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, which would contaminate the meat. | Marius was due to be killed by a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, which would contaminate the meat. |
| The UK's Yorkshire Wildlife Park - which has a state-of-the-art giraffe house and the capacity for an extra male - was among two zoos which reportedly put in a last-ditch offers to take Marius in. | |
| 'Good practice' | 'Good practice' |
| 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. | 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. |
| He told the BBC it was a responsible practice on the part of zoos to manage their animal populations to ensure they remained healthy. | He told the BBC it was a responsible practice on the part of zoos to manage their animal populations to ensure they remained healthy. |
| 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. | 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. |
| The zoo planned to dissect the animal after it was killed, before feeding it to the tigers and other carnivores. | The zoo planned to dissect the animal after it was 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. |