Copenhagen Zoo have confirmed they put down a healthy young giraffe this morning despite a massive online campaign to save it. Yorkshire Wildlife Park said they were saddened by the news following their offer to rehome the animal.
Copenhagen Zoo spokesman Tobias Stenbaek Bro has confirmed that 18 month-year-old giraffe 'Marius' has been put down.
The animal was killed this morning using a bolt pistol and its meat will be fed to carnivores in the zoo this afternoon.
Stenbaek Bro says the zoo was recommended to put down the giraffe by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria because there were already a lot of giraffes with similar genes in the organization's breeding program.
The Danish response to the killing of a young giraffe has been muted - perhaps because Denmark is a farming country.
A UK zoo has offered to rehome a young giraffe facing death in Denmark due to EU in-breeding laws.