After giraffe uproar, Copenhagen zoo kills 4 lions

[joeybee12]

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Danish zoo that faced protests for killing a healthy giraffe to prevent inbreeding says it has put down four lions, including two cubs, to make room for a new male lion.

Citing the "pride's natural structure and behavior," the Copenhagen Zoo said Tuesday that two old lions had been euthanized as part of a generational shift. It said the cubs were also put down because they were not old enough to fend for themselves and "anyway would have been killed by the new male lion."

Zoo officials hope the new male and two females born in 2012 will form the nucleus of a new pride.

Last month the zoo triggered a wave of protests by killing a 2-year-old giraffe, and feeding its remains to the lions as visitors watched.

http://news.msn.com/world/after-giraffe-uproar-copenhagen-zoo-kills-4-lions

WTF is wrong with these assholes????

[1000words]

1. It is highly unlikely another pride would accept outsiders, so that's out.

Their actions are actually the healthiest thing to do for the existing pride.

[joeybee12]

2. No, it's not...killing any animal that still is healthy and has a strong

will to survive is the ultimate in cruelty...this zoo sucks.

[1000words]

6. Since nature isn't keeping the pride dynamic in check, experts are stepping in.

The introduction of a younger male is a major shift in the pride. First, he will kill all the previous cub off springs sired by the older males. Then he'll go after the old males and likely kill them, too. It will not be harmonious until he has fully asserted his dominance.

This wouldn't be a problem if these animals weren't locked in a cage. All zoos suck, in that regard.

[joeybee12]

9. WTF? I have a real problem with assholes like the scum at this zoo trying to

mimic nature while keeping animals captive...they've kept these animals basically in prison all thier lives and they think they're so fucking dedicated to nature and preservation because they want to replicate in captivity what was in the wild, which will never happen...and these assholes will keep killing animals because they don't fucking get it.

[MoonRiver]

4. B.S.! Put them in another part of the zoo or give them to another zoo!

I'm starting to think these Danish zookeepers are blood thirsty psychopaths, who take their hate out on the animals!

[1000words]

7. I think your grasp of pride dynamics is limited.

You don't just introduce outside members to a pride. They wouldn't last a week.

[MoonRiver]

11. Then put them in separate cages or release them back into the wild.

Killing is NOT an option, or shouldn't be.

[1000words]

16. Into the wild? What pride is going to accept old males and cubs?

Some of which have only known captivity.

[MoonRiver]

19. Then move them to another zoo or put them in a separate cage(s)!

I repeat, KILLING IS NOT AN OPTION!

[joeybee12]

15. This is not the wild...let me repeat, this is not the wild...

They are trying to replicate conditions in captivity and it's never going to happen, and since thee assholes don't get it...they need to be shut down.

[1000words]

17. Instinct doesn't just disappear

[joeybee12]

20. The move the freaking cubs...if they can't provide for the animals

they take in, don't take in any and shut this fucking place down.

[LordGlenconner]

5. That's not exactly true

I would presume a zoo that large is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and participates in the SSP (species survival plan). These animals could have been re-located to another zoo anywhere in the world.

AZA accredited zoos trade animals all the time for reasons related to SSP recommendations or because an animal is a poor fit for their facility for one reason or another. It's actually quite common, even with lions, and one of the biggest reasons almost every animal you see at a zoo these days was born in captivity, and not stolen from the wild.

Unless there was some pre-existing medical condition with these animals I'm not seeing a good reason to execute them other than pure laziness on the part of that particular zoo.

On the surface what they did was a fucking disgrace. Is there more to it? I don't know.

[X_Digger]

14. Not the AZA, but the EU equivalent, yes.

One of the things they strive for is to encourage genetic diversity and limit inbreeding. If other zoos capable of receiving this lion and cubs contained animals too close (genetically) to these lions, they wouldn't be a good fit there, either.

[City Lights]

3. What. The. Fuck.

[dogindia]

8. this is a deep deep shame on humanity

I am shocked. I am horrified. I yelled out about Marius. Now. Perhaps the European Zoos practice like this but it has to change and immediately. The zoo should be closed. The director jailed. It is like a war crime.

Don't give me that most of humanity kills animals for food. That is another whole story. Don't get me started on that.

But zoos are suppose to be conserving institutions. Surely they can figure out a way to save glorious animals that are in their charge.

This is an abomination.

yes I am raving. You can delete this if you want monitors.

[MoonRiver]

13. +1000

[closeupready]

18. I see absolutely nothing wrong with what you posted here.

I'm not sure what should be done, but I am equally outraged.

[MBS]

10. Wow.

It really is unbelievable.

[CJCRANE]

12. I don't know if these zookeepers are playing God or Darwin...

but they certainly have a (man-made) survival of the fittest mentality.

[marions ghost]

21. The problem is

there's not enough room in zoos for all the animals born in captivity. I wouldn't blame the zoo--they probably tried to find a spot for the animals but were unsuccessful. Gotta remember it costs a lot of money to keep one of these big animals alive. Not too many places you can retire an elderly lion.

Zookeepers do a wonderful job for the most part. They keep a lot more animals going than not. Captive animal specialists have to consider things like the gene pool and animal behavior. It's not natural selection but they do practice selection. They aren't playing at anything.

It's a hard job.

[joeybee12]

26. Doesn't really sound like they tired...

This is the most expedient way for these pieces of shit.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. they have to preserve the species over the individual. it's not like they are psychopaths

who like to kill wildlife.

[joeybee12]

23. These are not endangered species...these are captive animals...

and they're tryig to replicate in captivity what happens in the wild, and that ain't never gonna happen, so yeah, either they're the dumbest fucking zookeppers on the planet or they are psychopaths.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. neither of the options you present are true. zoo's in the developed world have to be

kept with some level of genetic diversity and keeping too many babies from the same set of parents break that diversity. It will eventually lead to inbreeding and birth defects.

these people are dedicated to animals their whole life, its not like they woke up one morning and said "killing lions cubs is fun".

sometimes you have to trust that expertise in zoology (or whatever field) is worth some level of trust that people are doing the best they can. No one personally benefits from killing these cubs, and the zoo keepers have been getting death threats from the giraffe incident. They are not doing this because they want to, they are doing this because they understand the science behind it.

[joeybee12]

25. Seriously, fuck what you call science...these people have an obligation to take

care of the animals they have taken from the wild...if they want diversity fine, but don't fucking kill them because it's the most expedient way. There are other optins, and fuck this option...killing an animal that is healthy and still has a strong insticnt for survival...you want a defintion of animal abuse...that is fucking it.

[TDale313]

27. Couldn't agree more. n/t

[MoonRiver]

30. Then I say, SHUT DOWN THE FUCKING ZOOS!

Zoos, in popular mythology, were supposed to help animals, not destroy them!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

33. and what would happen to the thousands of animals that are in the zoos?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

28. Brian May was most unhappy about the giraffe slaughter.

Posts from his blog, plus one about the moral dilemma in Copenhagen faced by the developers of the atom bomb:
http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbfeb14a.html#09

http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbfeb14a.html#14

http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbfeb14a.html#10

[mucifer]

29. Why do people eat factory farmed meat?

Millions of animals in such horrible conditions they cannot turn around in their own pens.

We live in a very cruel world.

[MoonRiver]

31. 100% AGREE!

[madville]

34. 100 million animals were killed in the US today

To stock the grocery store shelves, some electrocuted, some a compressed air bolt to the brain, etc.

[TBF]

32. I think the deal is that we're hearing

what they have been doing in secret for a long time.

I'm big on science and the explanations make sense. Which is why I can come to only one conclusion - NO MORE ZOOS.