World

Actions

Second Healthy Giraffe Could Be Killed By Danish Zoo

A second healthy giraffe could be killed by zoo keepers for not being genetically useful for breeding.
Posted at
and last updated

Despite plenty of public backlash over a healthy giraffe being intentionally killed by zoo keepers, another zoo in Denmark says one of their giraffes could see the same fate.

BBC reports Jyllands Park Zoo, located roughly 180 miles west of Copenhagen, says if it obtains a female giraffe for breeding, it might put down one of its two male giraffes. 

According to the zoo, the giraffe is a "...6.5 year old male, genetically with no value for the breeding program." (Via Facebook / Jyllands Park Zoo

And this giraffe would also be named Marius. That's the same name as the giraffe that was killed at Copenhagen Zoo earlier this week. Plus, the male the zoo would keep alive is the older brother of the first Marius. (Via Fox News

The zoo says it can't have two male giraffes and one female giraffe because there would be fights over mating. The whole thing is starting to sound like a giraffe soap opera.

The zoo posted a statement to its website reading, in part, ​"We will of [course] try to place him in a suitable zoo, but if that is not possible, we might have to euthanize him. The program will give us notice well in advance, so I think we will have a good chance of placing him.​" ​(Via Facebook / Jyllands Park Zoo

Copenhagen Zoo's Marius was reportedly shot in the head by zoo keepers. Then, researchers performed a public autopsy on it, cutting it up and then feeding its meat to the lions for on-lookers to watch. (Via Euronews

Jyllands Park Zoo says it doesn't immediately have a female lined up to bring in, so Marius is safe, for now. But, they expect to get one eventually.