A Danish zoo that hit the headlines on a global scale for putting down a healthy giraffe in February has now killed four lions.
Copenhagen Zoo put down four lions – a 16-year-old male, a 14-year-old female and two cubs – last week before a new male lion arrived from Givskud Zoo in Denmark.
The zoo published a statement on its website saying that it had to put the lions down as changes needed to be made to the lion pride. It explained that the zoo has two young lionesses from the 2012 litter that must be kept as part of a new pride that will be produced with the incoming male.
The statement went on to say that the zoo had to make the change now because if they hadn’t there would have been the chance the old lion would mate with the two lionesses – his offspring – and give rise to inbreeding. It added that the 14-year-old female was too old to reproduce and raise more cubs without complications.
However, despite the explanations, the news of Copenhagen Zoo’s actions has once again sparked international condemnation. When the news broke last Wednesday, more than 10,000 stories from publications across the world immediately reported the zoo’s latest act.
The US Association of Zoos and Aquariums gave no comment on zoo euthanasia, but said in February after the news of the giraffe broke that such incidents do not occur in AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums for a number of reasons. According to the AZA website, they manage breeding programmes carefully so animals can be exchanged between institutions when needed.
However, according to the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), the Danish zoo has stayed in line with the code of conduct.