Copenhagen Zoo that killed Marius the giraffe puts down four healthy felines

The Copenhagen zoo that met with staunch protests from animal rights advocates around the globe against its killing of a healthy giraffe, Marius, due to its “breeding procedures”, has now put down a pair of adult lions and two cubs.

Citing the “pride's natural structure and behaviour,” Copenhagen Zoo said on Tuesday that two old lions had been euthanized as part of a generational shift.

It added that the cubs were also put down because they were not old enough to fend for themselves and “would have been killed by the new male lion.” Copenhagen zoo officials hope the new male and two females born in 2012 will form the nucleus of a new pride.

The zoo put these big cats to sleep after the zoo ignored pleas from international campaign groups last month not to kill a healthy giraffe named Marius. To make sure their decision was in the public eye the zoo staff cut up Marius in front of a crowd at the zoo and fed it to the lions.

At the time, the zoo officials said they were working to maintain healthy gene pool in the zoo. The zoo’s scientific director, Bengt Holst explained, “This is done by constantly ensuring that only unrelated giraffes breed so that inbreeding is avoided. If an animal’s genes are well-represented in a population further breeding with that particular animal is unwanted.”

Marius’ genes were “well represented” and there was “no place” for him in the zoo’s herd. Therefore the zoo management decided in conjunction with European Association of Zoos and Aquaria officials that it would be acceptable to kill him.

Groups including British-based Captive Animals Protection Society, Denmark’s Organisation Against the Suffering of Animals, and Animal Rights Sweden all came out against Marius' death in February.