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Danish zoo sparks outrage by killing healthy giraffe Danish zoo sparks outrage by killing healthy giraffe
(35 minutes later)
A healthy young giraffe has been put down at Copenhagen zoo despite a campaign to save it, according to the BBC. A healthy young giraffe has been slaughtered at Copenhagen zoo, despite a campaign to save it.
Thousands of people signed a petition to save the giraffe, called Marius, after the Danish zoo announced it was planning to kill the animal because of European laws on inbreeding. Demonstrators carrying banners gathered outside the zoo this morning and thousands of people signed a petition to rescue the giraffe, called Marius, after the Danish zoo announced it was planning to kill the animal because of European laws on inbreeding.
The 18-month-old creature was due to be killed with a bolt gun and its body dissected and fed to tigers and other animals. Other zoos, including the Yorkshire wildlife park in Britain, had offered to take it in.
Other zoos, including the Yorkshire wildlife park in Britain, had offered to take in the giraffe. But according to the Danish newspaper BT, Marius was fed some rye bread at 9.15am and was killed shortly after by a shot in the head with a bolt gun.
The zoo defended the decision on its website, saying that to send Marius to another zoo would also risk problems of inbreeding. Live footage of his body being dissected was streamed by Ekstra Bladet, with zoo staff explaining the process to the crowd and viewing public, describing the anatomy of the animal.
On Saturday Bengt Holst, the zoo's scientific director, defended the decision, saying Marius's genes were already well represented among giraffes at the zoo. He told the BBC zoos had a responsibility to control animal numbers to keep their populations healthy, pointing out that 700-800 deer were killed every year at a deer park north of Copenhagen. His meat will be fed to tigers and other animals.
The zoo defended the decision to slaughter Marius, saying that to send Marius to another zoo would also risk problems of inbreeding, as Marius's genes were already well represented among giraffes at the zoo.
"We know we are doing the right thing," Bengt Holst, the zoo's scientific director, told Danish TV2. "The many reactions don't change our attitude to what we do. It's very important to us that we take responsibility throughout. We need to have as healthy a stock as possible so we avoid inbreeding."
Holst said some of the meat from the giraffe would be used for research and the rest for food.Holst said some of the meat from the giraffe would be used for research and the rest for food.