Earlier this week Marius caught the attention of the public when it was announced that Copenhagen Zoo were planning to put him down and use his remains for research and to feed to their lions.
The problem was that Copenhagen Zoo were running out of space for giraffes, so had to get rid of Marius before he became old enough to produce his own offspring.
This led to an international outcry and a campaign to stop his death, with thousands of people signing online petitions. It is even claimed that British and Swedish zoos, including Yorkshire Wildlife Park, had offered to give him a home, but Copenhagen Zoo went ahead regardless.
Marius was put down early this morning. It is claimed that in the past, Copenhagen Zoo have also put down healthy bears, tigers and zebras, and currently put down 20-30 animals a year.
Copenhagen Zoo have apparently defended their decision, with Bengt Holst, scientific director of Copenhagen Zoo reportedly telling the BBC, "Giraffes today breed very well, and when they do you have to choose and make sure the ones you keep are the ones with the best genes"- so basically, space in zoos should be reserved for animals with the best genetics. He also stated that all responsible zoos maintain animal numbers in this way.
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