It stirred a lot of debate when Copenhagen Zoo in 2014 put down a giraffe.
We still support the decision made by Copenhagen Zoo. Putting down an animal in a zoo is nothing new. What is new is that the world is told about it. This, of course, stirs a debate for good and bad. We welcome the debate as it helps bring into focus why we have zoological gardens.
Zoological gardens have their place in the world to communicate information about animals and to ensure breeding when it comes to endangered species. We participate in a number of international breeding programmes and are, therefore, subject to strict restrictions with respect to which animals we allow to breed and which we should put down.
The giraffe in Copenhagen had to be put down because of the risk of inbreeding. For this reason, it did not make sense to use it for breeding. It is our job to ensure that the animals are genetically healthy so they get the best life they possibly can. Zoological gardens have a certain capacity and it is better to reserve that space to promote the breeding of giraffes that can help ensure the species rather than to reserve the space for an giraffe which is the result of in-breeding. If we generally make room for more animals than our enclosures are built for, this will affect the well-being of the animals. This is why we put down the surplus animals which we cannot find homes for at other zoos.
A part of the ongoing debate deals with whether it is ok to dissect animals while guests are watching. In Odense ZOO, we have dissected animals several times while ZOO guests are watching.
We believe in giving animals a good life and a good death. If we, with a view to disseminating information, can teach our guests about the anatomy of a lion, for instance, by cutting it up, this is what we do.
Managing breeding programmes and the putting down of surplus animals helps us to ensure a healthy population of the very animals which are close to extinction in the wild.
