In the latest tragedy for animal rights, and it happened in Europe, a Danish zoo has reportedly shot and killed a perfectly healthy giraffe which was given to the lions as food. The reason why Marius the giraffe was shot and killed: to prevent inbreeding and weakening the genetic population at the zoo.
If the story sounds reminiscent of the Holocaust, that’s what I thought too. Apparently another zoo in the UK had offered to take Marius and give him a home. An online petition had already collected 25,000 signatures.
Video of Marius (graphic):
But no. In order to maintain a healthy giraffe population (locally, worldwide?), the Copenhagen Zoo went ahead with its plan to kill the 18-month old male. He was then cut up into pieces and fed to the lions.
Consider that earlier in the week six lions in the UK were killed for excessive violence.
Marius was shot while reaching down for a bite of rye bread – his favorite. The whole act was documented in front of children, and a local video company called Localize has it all on tape.
Mads Bertelsen, the zoo veterinarian in Copenhagen told reporters: “I stood behind with a rifle, and when he put his head forward and ate the rye bread, then I shot him through the brain,” he said. “It sounds violent, but it means that Marius had no idea of what was coming. He got his bread, then he died.”
This is a very sad day for animal rights. We cry all the time here in the Middle East – about animal rights in Jordan, animal rights in Israel, animal rights in the United Arab Emirates where wild animals are kept as pets. But in an enlightened Europe?
And in the Middle East, and I say this with no sarcastic intent, it is a common practice for first cousins to marry to keep it all in the family.
What do you think of all this?
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
