Danish Zoo Kills Healthy Giraffe

Despite receiving an offer of 500,000 euros and a petition with over 20,000 signatures, the Copenhagen Zoo decided to kill healthy, 2-year-old Marius the giraffe on Sunday. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria apparently recommended that the zoo put down Marius because there were already giraffes in the breeding program with similar genes. The suggestion sparked outrage, and other zoos in Europe offered to take in Marius. The Copenhagen Zoo declined and decided to kill him with a bolt pistol and dissected him for visitors, including children, to watch. Then, his carcass was fed to lions and other carnivores at the zoo.