Marius

Giraffes at Copenhagen Zoo
Species	Giraffa camelopardalis
Sex	Male
Born	2012 Copenhagen
Died	(2014-02-09)February 9, 2014 (aged 18 months)
Nation from	Denmark
Years active	2014
Known for	Killed and fed to lions
Owner	Copenhagen Zoo
Named after	Marius Pontmercy

Marius was an 18-month-old male giraffe who was killed and publicly dissected on 9 February 2014 at Copenhagen Zoo under controversial circumstances.^[1] Marius' culling occurred despite offers of a place at other animal institutions.

Since records began approximately a century ago, five giraffes have been culled for similar "conservation management reasons" out of a captive population in Europe that in 2014 stands at 798.^[2] Jörg Jebram, who oversees the European endangered species programme for giraffes, says he believes two other young bulls have been euthanised in Europe since 2012.^[3]

Keeping animals in European zoos is regulated by EU Council Directive 1999/22/EC.^[4] (summary^[5])

Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) released a statement advising that they had the capacity to accept a further giraffe into its bachelor herd in its giraffe house, built in 2012. Contact was made with Copenhagen Zoo, yet despite this contact, no reply was received from the zoo. YWP has previously received a male giraffe of the same age as Marius from Copenhagen Zoo.^{[6][better source needed]} Holst said the zoo turned down the offer from YWP, which is also a member the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), because Marius' older brother lives there and the park's space could be better used by a "genetically more valuable giraffe".^[7]

The director of a wildlife park in the Netherlands, Robert Krijuff, indicated a last-minute offer of a place was also rejected.^[8]

Copenhagen Zoo also declined an offer from a zoo in northern Sweden, because it was not an EAZA member and didn't want to comply with the same high standards.^[7]

Stenbaek Bro, spokesman at the zoo said it had also declined an offer from a private individual who wanted to buy Marius for 500,000 euros ($680,000).^[7]

After being culled, Marius was publicly dissected and parts of his body fed to the zoo's lion population. Images of the carcass being cut up and fed to lions in front of children have been circulated by Associated Press. Bro has been quoted as saying during a telephone interview "I'm actually proud because I think we have given children a huge understanding of the anatomy of a giraffe that they wouldn't have had from watching a giraffe in a photo"^[9][7]

Bengt Holst, scientific director at the Danish zoo, defended the killing of the young bull based on culling for artificial selection. He said that giraffes at the zoo breed very well and where this was the case, giraffes had to be selected to ensure the best genes were passed down to ensure the animals' long-term survival. He confirmed the zoo typically culls 20 to 30 animals every year.^[8]

In an interview with Channel Four News, Holst said that Copenhagen Zoo's policy was to educate the public, rather than presenting a "Disney"-like world of fiction as regards nature. He also emphasized that the act of killing had not been done in public, and that the overall conservation of the species had been the major consideration.^[10]

EAZA issued a press release "fully supporting" the decisions and policy of the Copenhagen Zoo.^[11]

Jörg Jebram, who oversees the European endangered species programme for giraffes, indicated why he believes the zoo was correct in its decision to kill Marius. He explained a young bull could be sent to an all-female group as a stud, but experts prefer a larger, more mature male than Marius. Giraffes could be sent to a zoo that doesn't participate in the EAZA-led breeding programme, but that could mean the giraffe or his offspring might be sold into worse circumstances, such as those of a circus or private collection. He further explained that contraception is problematic because until recently, this would have required sedation. This is a relatively high-risk operation because they are prone to breaking their necks when they fall while sedated.^[3]

The culling has been criticized by Stine Jensen, from Denmark's Organisation Against the Suffering of Animals, who repudiated the action as unethical. She said, "This situation should not have occurred at all. It just shows that the zoo is in fact not the ethical institution that it wants to portray itself as being, because here you have a waste product - that being Marius. Here we have a zoo which thinks that putting this giraffe down instead of thinking of alternatives is the best option".^[8]

The Executive Director of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) issued the following statement in response to the public concerns raised by the euthanasia of Marius: "Zoos and aquariums in North America that are accredited by the AZA have a number of ways that they manage animal populations. Through the AZA Species Survival Plan® program, these methods include science based breeding recommendations and cooperating to plan for adequate space. AZA’s Wildlife Contraception Center and AZA’s Population Management Center help AZA members with the expertise and planning to manage animal populations. The Copenhagen Zoo is well known for the quality of its conservation programs. The facility is a member of EAZA, and their programs and procedures vary from those of the AZA."^{[citation needed]}

The Born Free Foundation called for "a review and amendment to EAZA euthanasia policies, to ensure healthy animals who can be relocated are not killed, and for increased transparency in zoos across Europe, with accurate recording and publication of the numbers of healthy animals that are destroyed in each licensed zoo in the region."^[12]

Jack Hanna (an American zookeeper who is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium) criticized the zoo's actions to cull Marius.^[13] He stated that the cull would never have occurred in America.^[14]

Copenhagen Zoo managers confirmed that staff, including its head of conservation, received death threats by phone and email since the culling of Marius.^[2]