Copenhagen Zoo Staff Receive Death Threats After Giraffe Killing

Copenhagen Zoo’s scientific director and other staff have received death threats after a healthy giraffe was killed to avoid inbreeding among the long-necked beasts there, the zoo said on Monday.But director Bengt Holst said it was the right decision and he would be ready to do the same with another animal if needed.

The death of Marius, an 18-month-old male shot on Sunday and then dissected in front of crowds at the zoo, has created a uproar among animal lovers in Denmark and abroad.

A zoo spokesman said other staffers had also been threatened but gave no further details.

Copenhagen Zoo’s giraffes are part of an international breeding program that aims to maintain a healthy giraffe population in European zoos by ensuring that only unrelated giraffes breed.

A new video has surfaced from the moment the giraffe dissected (WARNING  Graphic Images)