Full article here. I find this really tragic. Despite the efforts of thousands of people, zoos and sanctuaries world-wide, the zoo still decided to kill the healthy young giraffe, due to his genes. To make matters worse they decide to take him apart in front of everyone, and then feed him to the lions. Not to mention the six healthy lions, who were also killed, mentioned later in the article. I find it wrong to kill perfectly healthy animals that have done nothing wrong.
I was about to say, if they were endangered, they would've been hauled to International court. As it's illegal in any way to harm and/or kill an endangered animal with certain countries. (Japan didn't sign the treaty, hence there's still whaling.) But they have a healthy population, same with lions. I heard about the giraffe in the news, but not the full, and very disturbing details. I still don't know fully why he was killed, other than some sick publicity stunt with a VERY bullshit excuse. But that's me, there's a ton of zoos and sanctuaries, AROUND THE WORLD, that would've gladly taken the giraffe, AND paid for the expenses to have it shipped over there. The whole butchering afterwards is just sick and disgusting, and I would never let my kid see anything like this.
As much as this disgusts me, I find this part very troubling: How is death threats to people a valid reaction to the murder of an animal? Regardless, this is horrible. I understand that they may see it as necessary, but I wonder how costly it would be to transfer these animals to other facilities (other zoos, for example)?
I understand that a zoo has limited space and resources, so tough decisions have to be made at times, but these guys had very viable alternatives to deal with the giraffe. With that in mind, what kind of a moron do you have to be to turn around and think it's okay to instead butcher an other otherwise healthy animal and chuck the remains into a lion pit in front of a crowd of children? My issue isn't with the fact that the giraffe was put to death,though the thought doesn't sit well with me either, but the way it was handled was disgraceful, disrespectful, barbaric and flat out wrong. They made a show of it, for Christ's sake. To hell with the director who approved of that idea.
Or they could've...you know...traded it to another zoo for breeding purposes as that is also another practice they zoo's and Sanctuaries do. The article said that the giraffe was apart of an international breeding program, and yet all it says is that they they could not put it in any other European breeding program. So much for international, right? Honestly, I don't understand why they needed to slaughter the giraffe like that. A boltgun is used during euthanization an emergency in on the field-jobs when they can't save an injured animal, not on healthy zoo animals that have their keepers trust and potential for breeding in say I don'lt know, North America? South America? Jeez, anywhere if it meant not killing him. "When breeding success increases it is sometimes necessary to euthanize," Bengt Holst, the zoo's scientific director, said in a statement on the giraffe's death. "We see this as a positive sign and as insurance that we in the future will have a healthy giraffe population in European zoos." ^And for crying out loud, what kind of BS is this keeper spouting out? Really? Sometimes necessary my @$$, and positive sign... SMH For shame...
I'm really bothered by this news. First of all, killing a healthy animal you don't need? Send it somewhere else damn it! And why the hell did you make a display out of it??!! In front of children!! Shame on you!
I meant in the sense that since they thought they had to kill it, they could have at least done that.
I'm not well-informed about their alternatives, but at least they should have done it after closing time. Their argument of "transparency" seems weak. Parents will teach their children about the harsh realities of life when said kids are ready to process it. By executing the beast during visiting hours, you're giving them an incentive to do it prematurely. Scaring the hell out of some preschoolers can't be worth it.
