After a 2-year-old giraffe was shot and killed Sunday morning at a Denmark zoo, some UF professors and students are calling it harsh and unnecessary.
News organizations reported that dozens of families watched as Marius, a healthy reticulated giraffe, was publicly shot, skinned and fed to the lions and other animals at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark.
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria recommended that the zoo administration put Marius down due to the existence of several other giraffes with similar genes in the organization’s breeding program.
Michael Moulton, a UF associate professor of wildlife ecology and conservation, said he understands the zoo must consider how to keep its animals genetically healthy.
“I wouldn’t question the people that did it on scientific grounds,” he said. “Having said that, I don’t support how they did or where they did it. I think it was a little harsh.”
Edward Braun, UF associate professor of biology, agreed. He said that the inbreeding concerns were legitimate, but he did not see the need to kill the animal.
“I think the goal of avoiding inbreeding is a good one,” said Braun. “I question whether this was good from the standpoint of the educational mission of the zoo, which is equally important.”
The giraffe was killed using a bolt gun, not a lethal injection, so the animals that ate his remains wouldn’t be poisoned. Zoo visitors, including children, were invited to watch the giraffe’s body get skinned and fed to lions, tigers and leopards as an educational experience.
The Copenhagen Zoo chose to put down the giraffe despite an online petition with almost 30,000 signatures and several offers from other zoos and individuals to adopt the giraffe. The zoo administration has since received numerous death threats, and animal rights groups are calling for a boycott of the zoo.
Rebecca Laines, a 19-year-old UF psychology freshman, said that she didn’t understand why killing the giraffe was necessary.
“It’s just disgusting,” Laines said. “They could have given the giraffe to another zoo. They didn’t have to kill him.”
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 2/11/2014 under the headline "Experts, students react to Denmark giraffe killing"]
