The bid to save Marius the giraffe from destruction at Copenhagen Zoo has failed, and the animal was put down on Sunday morning.
Thousands of people had signed an online petition appealing for a change of heart over 18-month-old Marius.
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.
Two zoos, one in the UK and one in Sweden, had reportedly put in last-ditch offers to take Marius in.
Marius was due to be killed by a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, which would contaminate the meat
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 said 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.
“It would be absolutely foolish to throw away a few hundred kilos of meat,” Bengt 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.
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Danish animal rights campaigners are trying to save a healthy young giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo from being destroyed.
The zoo says it cannot keep the giraffe, named Marius, because of European rules to avoid in-breeding, and that attempts to find it a new home have failed.
Copenhagen Zoo says it needs to kill the giraffe before it becomes an adult and attempts to mate.
Campaigners say to do so would be barbaric.
Copenhagen Zoo says it needs to kill the giraffe before it becomes an adult and attempts to mate
Bengt Holst, scientific director at the zoo, said 18-month-old Marius’s genes were already well represented among giraffes at the zoo.
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.
Katie Holmes appeared to be beaming yesterday as she took her daughter Suri Cruise on a trip to the Bronx Zoo.
The girls were seen feeding the giraffes along with other visitors to the New York City attraction and while the treat was probably for her child with Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes seemed the most thrilled.
Katie Holmes grinned with her tongue between her teeth as she extended branches to the animals, which can often be found on safari expeditions.
While her six-year-old little girl could be seen looking very focused on the task at hand, Katie Holmes made sure to snap away at the precious moments on her phone, in between gasping with delight.
Katie Holmes appeared to be beaming yesterday as she took her daughter Suri Cruise on a trip to the Bronx Zoo
Katie Holmes pulled her hair back in a messy ponytail and donned a black and white striped tank top with blue jeans for the outing.
After finalizing her divorce from Tom Cruise earlier this month, Katie Holmes’ life just seems to be going from strength to strength.
Katie Holmes recently landed a role on the Broadway production Dead Accountants and last night she was accompanied by Jonathan Wolfe and reportedly his wife Renee for a nice meal in the Big Apple.
Although she has been making the most of her time with Suri recently, taking her on late night ice cream trips as well as fun children’s activities during the day, Katie Holmes enjoyed some adult time.
Despite her personal and career successes, it would appear that Katie Holmes has decided to lie relatively low for the moment and take advantage of simple pleasures.
She has cancelled what would have been her first official public appearance since her split, at last night’s Dizzy Feet Foundation gala.
