Contrary to media reports, a second zoo in Denmark will not euthanize another giraffe.
Last week, despite protests and an international petition, the Copenhagen Zoo killed a giraffe named Marius. The 18-month-old animal was shot in the head, dissected, and then fed to the zoo's lions as spectators watched. (Via Euronews)
The zoo defended its controversial decision — pointing to European laws on inbreeding that say there can’t be too many giraffes sharing genes within the same facility.
"Sometimes you have to do something which is not very nice in order to achieve something which is very nice which is a healthy poplulation. Without a healthy population, forget about healthy animals. Forget about animals in the wild." (Via Channel 4)
And despite all the outrage caused by the zoo's move, there had been reports another Danish zoo might be considering the same fate for one of its giraffes — a healthy seven-year-old, coincidentally also named Marius. (ViaUSA Today, Daily Mail)
A zoologist with the Jyllands Park Zoo told CNN the park was considering bringing in a breeding female giraffe to join Marius and another more genetically-valuable male giraffe.
Should that happen, the thinking was the zoo would try to find another home for Marius, but if it couldn’t, there wouldn't be enough space for all of the giraffes and Marius might have to be euthanized.
But on Friday, the zoo denied it was ever planning to kill the animal. Writing in a statement: “There is no plan, and there has never been a plan to neither move or euthanize any of our giraffes. The media stories are only based on a hypothetical situation, which we have answered questions about.” (Via Facebook / Jyllands Park Zoo)
News of a second possible giraffe killing brought in several offers to find Marius a new home. According to The Guardian, the president of Chechnya offered to take in the animal at his personal zoo. (Via The Guardian)
Celebrity zoologist Jack Hanna also raised more $100,000 to bring the second giraffe to a zoo in Ohio. (Via Slate)
Despite the offers, the Jyllands Park Zoo says it will be keeping all of its giraffes.
