Eugenics, A Bolt Gun and Some Well Fed Lions

Something that has been exercising the minds of people on facebook (and quite possibly elsewhere) lately seems to be outrage with Danish zoo authorities.  The reason?  They killed something cute.  To be more specific they killed a young giraffe.  To be even more specific they killed a young giraffe, autopsied it, chopped it up into pieces and fed it to lions in front of a watching crowd including many children.  They seem to be a bit bemused by the fuss.

My knowledge of Denmark is limited to knowing that it produces lego and overpriced frying pans and also they were the only nation in World War 2 who managed to smuggle the entire Jewish population out of the country before the Nazis took over (to be fair nobody else really tried).  The occasional episode of giraffe wacking is a refreshing change.

Just in case killing an adolescent giraffe wasn't enough to set peoples teeth on edge the zoo authorities managed to explain their decision in a manner that rescued them from appearing heartless at the price of making them appear deeply creepy.

Apparently Marius (the giraffe in question) was killed because he had the wrong genetics.  The zoo authorities were concerned about the possibility of inbreeding within the European Association of Zoos (I'm going to be generous and assume they're talking about the animals).  So concerned were they in fact that it was decided that the best option all round was to put a bullet (a bolt gun actually) in young Marius's head.  Well the best option for everyone except Marius presumably; talk about taking one for the team.  Call it proactive eugenics.

Naturally there has been outrage which has been registered in various forms ranging from "why couldn't you just have sterilised him?" to "I hope your children die of cancer".  It would probably be unwise for any of the zoo staff to exhibit symptoms of hereditary illnesses any time soon.  In case there was any sympathy left for the zoo's position their crack public relations team (apparently Doctors Frankenstein and Lector) burbled happily that the giraffe sized hole left by Marius could now be filled with a more genetically valuable animal and the watching children had had the opportunity to see giraffes in a whole new way ie in bits being eaten by lions.

I have to admit I think the zoo has made a mess of this one and not just because their interactions with the public have proved that they know less about dumb, excitable animals than you might expect.  Animals die, we all know that.  However a zoo pretty much survives on being able to present live ones to the viewing public.  It is better if the wet work is done behind closed doors and as little connection as possible can be drawn between the empty giraffe enclosure and the well fed lions.  And surely, surely they could have found some rich, sentimental idiot who would have been prepared to take Marius off their hands.

One thing I will say though.  If the zoo had killed a warthog and fed it to the lions I'll bet no one would have given a shit.