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's scientific director Bengt Holst has said the campaign to save a healthy, young giraffe had gone "much too far".
Mr Holst said all zoos had been considered to rehouse Marius, but there was no place - including at Yorkshire, where any space should be saved for a genetically more important giraffe.
He told the BBC it was responsible practice for zoos to manage animal populations to ensure they remained healthy.
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.