Marius 6 February — 9 February was a male giraffe living at Copenhagen Zoo. Though healthy, he was genetically unsuitable for future captive breeding , as his genes were over-represented in the captive population, so the zoo authorities decided to euthanize him. Despite several offers to adopt Marius and an online petition to save him, he was killed on 9 February The event received worldwide media coverage and generated responses from several organisations and individuals, including death threats to staff at the zoo.
Between when records began in the early s and when the animal was killed in February , five giraffes had been killed for similar "conservation management reasons". Marius was born on 6 February at Copenhagen Zoo where he lived all his life. The zoo has a policy of only giving an official name to a few selected animals such as elephants with the prospect of living up to 50 years or more but the keepers informally named the giraffe "Marius".
As this giraffe's genes are well represented in the breeding programme and as there is no place for the giraffe in the zoo's giraffe herd the European Breeding Programme for Giraffes has agreed that Copenhagen Zoo euthanizes the giraffe. Offers to relocate Marius were received by Copenhagen Zoo , but none were taken up. Commenting on several offers the zoo stated that the offers did not match with the requirements of the EAZA.
As the zoo was unable to find a suitable place for Marius, considered sterilization damaging to his quality of life and did not want to send him to another EEP zoo where he would take up a "space for more genetically valuable giraffes", [8] [20] [21] he was killed on 9 February The zoo had announced that he would be anaesthetized before being put down with a bolt gun , [8] as lethal injection would make it unsafe for the carnivores at the zoo to eat.
However, the euthanizing vet said that he used a rifle, [2] [22] reportedly a Winchester. Most media wrote that Marius was 18 months old. Bengt Holst, the zoo's Scientific Director, corrected this, saying Marius was two years old. After being euthanized, Marius was publicly dissected. This was done in a separate area of the zoo, but accessible for those interested, including parents with children. Other parts were sent to seven research projects. Bengt Holst, scientific director at the Danish zoo, said that the amount of international interest had come as a surprise to the zoo, but also stressed the importance of a policy of openness.
