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<p>I don’t get it.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/danish-zoo-kills-marius-the-giraffe-to-prevent-inbreeding/story-e6frg6so-1226822263387”>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/danish-zoo-kills-marius-the-giraffe-to-prevent-inbreeding/story-e6frg6so-1226822263387</a></p>
<p>I don’t get it either.</p>
<p>If it was inappropriate for him to breed, why not just sterilize him, send him to another zoo, or both?</p>
<p>I’ve read this story all day and I keep waiting for something to come out to explain it. It makes zero sense. </p>
<p>With that said, I agree with this completely:
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<p>I do not go to zoos as a rule and I don’t agree with a lot of what they do. However, what makes this so interesting to me is how big of a story it is. Animals are slaughtered every single day for no reason at all and yet this is what makes a headline. It’s interesting to me. </p>
<p>I don’t get it either, especially when so many other places were willing to take him. It may not be that unusual though. My daughter did an internship at an aquarium and was not happy about some of the things she witnessed - like imperfect but perfectly viable fish being killed so the public wouldn’t see them. She thought, and I agree, that it would have been educational for kids to see them. </p>
<p>I was even more taken aback by the crowd, including children watching the poor giraffe being dissected to feed the lion. </p>
<p>I think it would be fascinating to watch the giraffe dissection. I would have considered taking Fang Jr. </p>
<p>And how is killing this giraffe and feeding it to lions is any different than killing a cow and feeding it to lions? Those lions don’t eat carrots.</p>
<p>I agree with @romanigypsyeyes. I feel like it’s hypocritical to care so much about this giraffe but not even bat an eye at the 450 million chickens killed in egg production each year or the 39 million cows killed for meat. Instead of spending time raging at the zoo, go take a look at what else is happening.</p>
<p>Food for thought–wait, no, thought for food.</p>
<p><a href=“http://awellfedworld.org/issues/animalprotection”>http://awellfedworld.org/issues/animalprotection</a></p>
<p>Alex the Lion finally gets to eat Melman the Giraffe…</p>
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<p>It isn’t different, really, except in one way that matters a lot – public opinion. Zoos need public support, but this incident has tarnished the public’s view of the Copenhagen zoo, and maybe of zoos in general. The people who run the zoo evidently did not anticipate that reaction, which surprises me. I would have thought that at the very least, they would have realized how some people would view their action and therefore would have done it quietly, out of the public eye, if it could not have been avoided.</p>
<p>Culturally, I think of zoos as a place that protects animals. Farms & ranches raise animals for the purpose of eventual slaughter. </p>
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<p>That’s a cultural misconception. </p>
<p>You’re undoubtedly correct, romanigypsyeyes – but I suspect that it is a cultural belief I share with lots of other (ignorant) people. </p>
<p>No I absolutely agree with you. I think zoos have done a wonderful job of convincing the public they’re something they’re not. However, I think it’s getting harder and harder for them to pretend given various negative stories coming out. </p>
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Yes. </p>
<p>Please. Let’s not turn this into a “Save the cows! Save the chickens!” conversation. I see the problems within the slaughterhouses a separate, but in some ways similar, situation than what is going on with the zoos. </p>
<p>Zoos SHOULD be providing a safe-haven for animals that allow them to flourish, rehabilitate, or what have you. But they are not. Which is disappointing.</p>
<p>Given that they allowed him to be born in the first place, I think that they have a responsibility to care for him throughout his life. It’s not like they didn’t know what genes he’d be born with. Then they refused viable alternatives for him, including one at a zoo that they had previously given a giraffe to (so clearly no welfare concerns there). I think their mind had been made up and they wanted to public spectacle of a dissection + cheap meat tbh. </p>
<p>The whole thing is a PR disaster though. Even after the public outrage they allowed the dissection to be filmed, and released photos of lions munching on what was very clearly lumps of Marius. There’s a rather graphic video on the Huffington Post too <a href=“Marius The Giraffe Skinned In Front Of Children And Fed To Lions (GRAPHIC PICTURES) | HuffPost UK News”>Marius The Giraffe Skinned In Front Of Children And Fed To Lions (GRAPHIC PICTURES) | HuffPost UK News; </p>
<p>Other zoos seem to have decided that today is a good day to bury bad news - a zoo in the UK has announced that it put down six (six!!) lions due to the results of inbreeding <a href=“Longleat Safari Park Defends Decision To Kill Six Lions | HuffPost UK News”>Longleat Safari Park Defends Decision To Kill Six Lions | HuffPost UK News; </p>
<p>Now, if only people had any idea what goes on in farms. If people knew, there would be a hell of a lot more vegetarians out there. </p>
<p>Niquii, Why should they be? That’s not their job. </p>
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I wouldn’t expect people to become vegetarians. Rather, I would expect them to strive to reform the meat industry. </p>
<p>I’ve seen snippets of what goes on in farms, and while it did turn me off, I still eat meat. I became more aware of how my meat is treated and what phrases mean what; however, it did not turn me vegetarian.</p>
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What do you think they feed the carnivores? Tofu?</p>
<p>This case just shows that giraffes have better PR than cows do. At least they didn’t let the lions kill him.</p>
<p>Marius was born because giraffes can’t be given birth control safely. </p>
<p>I think that this article contains more background info that it less sensational and explsins the matter further:</p>
<p><a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost;