If your concern is inbreeding of the captive species, and if you determine that none of the other organisations that offered to take your surplus male giraffe because they might have 'lesser standards of welfare', even though several other zoos offered, and if sterilisation just means he would 'take up space for more genetically valuable giraffes', then why on earth breed animals in the first place, only to kill them with a bolt gun and feed them to the zoo's lions in front of children?
I agree with Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, who said, the zoo's decision was 'the most abominable, insensitive, ridiculous thing I've ever heard of.'
I'm not saying that the death threats are warranted that they're now receiving, but gee whiz, what genius thought this was a great idea? It's at the very least a public relations disaster. And while yes, feeding the meat to the lions is less 'wasteful', the whole thing stinks to high heaven. Zoos are centres of conservation and education. If they can't treat animals humanely and breed responsibly, then they shouldn't be putting themselves into that arena. And yes, I know, they insist they were acting responsibly. They just don't get it, and that's more the pity. And here I thought the Danes had some advantages over Americans in terms of forward-thinking mentality.
Marius the giraffe: Copenhagen Zoo staff get death threats
No comments:
Post a Comment