<p>I hate PETA with a burning passion but I agree with what the PETA rep said. </p>
<p>Man, are the lions also so inbred that they have lost all hunting skills and have to have their food killed and delivered to them on a plate? It would have been way more educational for those zoo visitors to see a real hunt - just like the stuff Discovery channel shows /sarcasm off. </p>
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The zoo said that if they anesthetized the giraffe to geld it, it could fall down and break its neck.</p>
<p>Consolation, thanks, that was an article I was looking for.</p>
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<p>Ah,… it does bother me to read this. I think that he was born there, had a safe haven of sorts there, and even a name there, just makes it harder to take.</p>
<p>I eat pork; always have, and still eat it. But I remember hurting terribly when our neighbor slaughtered their pet pig. They got him as a piglet, and when he reached a certain size and weight, he became food. But til then he was really a lot like a dog running around the property. Had a name, and, I got attached to him, and the idea that he would then be just butchered that way bothered me greatly. Not about pigs in general or any other animals being turned into food meats, but there is an attachment that occurs. I didn’t stop eating pork or meat, but i won’t get attached to any animals that are going to be going that route. For whatever reason, it evokes a very negative reaction in me. </p>
<p>Yes, this bothers me a lot. Had it been a giraffe out a large nameless herd, it would not have bothered me as much, hardly at all. </p>
<p>I don’t see how this is justifiable at all considering Marius was healthy and not posing any health/safety issues for other giraffes, animals, or staff. This just feels so wrong. </p>
<p>And I don’t consider myself a soft-hearted person when it comes to animals…</p>
<p>I grew up in Africa watching lions kills animals in their natural habitat. I’ve listened to the zoo’s explanations. (No other zoo in the consortium wanted the giraffe, and they don’t want the zoo to get sold to a circus or inferior zoo.) I’m fine with it. As a kid I’d have loved to see the giraffe autopsy. I did see a fair number of gazelle being cut up after hunting. I’m just not that bothered. The whole idea of zoos bothers me a lot more. They’ve gotten better, but they are still lousy places for animals.</p>
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I had a couple friends in high school who had farms. They would grow pigs, chickens, and the like. One of them grew extremely fond of this one pig. He carried it everywhere (when he was able to) and would give it special treats. In the end, he did kill the pig, but he said it was the best bacon he’s tasted. ;)) </p>
<p>Marius’ situation saddens me. I even root for the seals during Shark Week. Why allow Marius’ birth then kill him? Couldn’t they determine he would be a surplus animal before he was born? Is there no giraffe exchange program</p>
<p>Gah, Niquil. Like I said, that would hurt. It’s not that I would associate the food with the animal, but the very idea of killing any creature for nearly any reason, once an attachment was made. I still hurt about that pig and it was over a half century ago. And the story about Marius evokes some emotion from me too. All automatic, just reflex on my part. </p>