Zoo Kills Young Giraffe, Invites Children to Watch It Be Chopped Up, Fed to Lion

[garbon]

Yet oddly EAZA said that they do it for biodiversity and spacing reasons...

http://world.time.com/2014/02/10/marius-the-giraffe-not-the-only-animal-zoos-have-culled/

Although considered a last resort ("we don't do it even once a year," says von Houwald of her zoo), euthanasia is a regular tool for biodiversity and population management in many European zoos. In the past few years, river hog piglets, pygmy hippos, tigers, antelopes, bison, and zebra  have all been put down in European zoos for biodiversity reasons. Although EAZA has figures from recent years, it does not release them because of their sensitivity. "We're not ashamed of euthanizing animals," says Williams-Mitchell. "But we don't want to publicize it either. "

[OttoVonBismarck]

Anyway, I'm a hunter and meat eater, I have no problem with animals being put down by captive bolt devices and my understanding is that's the standard practice for cattle and swine slaughter across the world. But a for-profit company that buys animals for slaughter for meat production is acting in the expected way, society accepts it and pays them for it as they are producing a product we want. A zoo is held to a different standard because they are almost always quasi-public institutions, even where they are privately ran if you hold yourself out as a zoo you're saying you're an entity that is trying to educate the public about wildlife and are engaged in wildlife conservation. So when a zoo behaves completely opposite of that it's worthy of scorn even if you have no problem with slaughterhouses.

[garbon]

So when a zoo behaves completely opposite of that it's worthy of scorn even if you have no problem with slaughterhouses.

I don't know. I think this incident underscores some bizarre attitudes regarding nature and what we think is appropriate for children to see. So many of the outraged voices have complained about how the zoo had the temerity to let children see a dissection and see one wild animal eat another wild animal.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Yet oddly EAZA said that they do it for biodiversity and spacing reasons...

http://world.time.com/2014/02/10/marius-the-giraffe-not-the-only-animal-zoos-have-culled/

Although considered a last resort ("we don't do it even once a year," says von Houwald of her zoo), euthanasia is a regular tool for biodiversity and population management in many European zoos. In the past few years, river hog piglets, pygmy hippos, tigers, antelopes, bison, and zebra  have all been put down in European zoos for biodiversity reasons. Although EAZA has figures from recent years, it does not release them because of their sensitivity. "We're not ashamed of euthanizing animals," says Williams-Mitchell. "But we don't want to publicize it either. "

I'm pretty sure that's an article that's already been posted in this thread. The guy you're quoting is just saying they euthanize animals for genetic reasons as a last resort, the only real difference between EAZA and the rest of the world is the rest of the world is willing to castrate unwanted animals while EAZA takes the (frankly stupid) position that castration / sterilization is worse than euthanasia [mammals have been routinely sterilized for thousands of years by humans.] He goes on to drone about how they can't just turn it over to some random person, but several major, internationally respected zoos offered to take Marius. The idea that an EAZA zoo could only release an animal to another EAZA is asinine, and is undermined by the fact that EAZA zoos trade animals with American zoos and other zoos around the world all the time. I would not in fact be surprised to learn that EAZA zoos regularly agree to let other zoos take unwanted animals when those zoos compensate them for their costs. I'm assuming this case is quite different because it was so publicized, I doubt many or even any other zoos were offering to take things like hog piglets etc. As for tigers, from what the article says German zoo workers were actually ruled guilty of criminal conduct when they euthanized tiger cubs so probably not a great reference point.

[garbon]

You said before you weren't reading articles.

[OttoVonBismarck]

I don't know. I think this incident underscores some bizarre attitudes regarding nature and what we think is appropriate for children to see. So many of the outraged voices have complained about how the zoo had the temerity to let children see a dissection and see one wild animal eat another wild animal.

It wasn't a necropsy, was just a butchering for meat production purposes. I'd say it was of limited value educationally, I wouldn't have a problem with a kid seeing that but I'd probably say they'd learn a lot more seeing a chicken or pig butchered because that actually relates to food the kid eats. Butchering a giraffe doesn't really give any serious academic knowledge to anyone, it's not like a High School dissection where you have to pin/identify different organs or etc.

[garbon]

I don't know. I think this incident underscores some bizarre attitudes regarding nature and what we think is appropriate for children to see. So many of the outraged voices have complained about how the zoo had the temerity to let children see a dissection and see one wild animal eat another wild animal.

It wasn't a necropsy, was just a butchering for meat production purposes. I'd say it was of limited value educationally, I wouldn't have a problem with a kid seeing that but I'd probably say they'd learn a lot more seeing a chicken or pig butchered because that actually relates to food the kid eats. Butchering a giraffe doesn't really give any serious academic knowledge to anyone, it's not like a High School dissection where you have to pin/identify different organs or etc.

So no knowledge for the sake of knowledge in your world?

Also, what about my second contention?

[Valmy]

If only people were this upset about all the species going extinct in the wild as they are about this one giraffe.

[sbr]

I don't know. I think this incident underscores some bizarre attitudes regarding nature and what we think is appropriate for children to see. So many of the outraged voices have complained about how the zoo had the temerity to let children see a dissection and see one wild animal eat another wild animal.

It wasn't a necropsy, was just a butchering for meat production purposes. I'd say it was of limited value educationally, I wouldn't have a problem with a kid seeing that but I'd probably say they'd learn a lot more seeing a chicken or pig butchered because that actually relates to food the kid eats. Butchering a giraffe doesn't really give any serious academic knowledge to anyone, it's not like a High School dissection where you have to pin/identify different organs or etc.

I don't know what the difference is between a necropsy and an autopsy, but an autopsy was done before the butchering and it was done in public.

[Razgovory]

Did they discover the cause of death?

[grumbler]

I don't know what the difference is between a necropsy and an autopsy, but an autopsy was done before the butchering and it was done in public.

Indeed.  Those of us who actually read up on this know that the Copenhagen Zoo always autopsies animals that die in its care.  Not to determine cause of seath, but to advance their knowledge of how these animals develop in captivity.

A necropsy is an autopsy.  The word is generally used in place of the common autopsy by drama queens.

[garbon]

I think the only other difference language-wise is that sometimes people will use necropsy when referring to an autopsy on animals.

[Capetan Mihali]

Did they discover the cause of death?

Foul play has been ruled out.

[grumbler]

I think the only other difference language-wise is that sometimes people will use necropsy when referring to an autopsy on animals.

An autopsy is generally considered a post-mortem primarily to determine cause of death; a necropsy is generally a post-morten for research purposes.  As you note, necropsies are mostly done on animals, where there isn't a legal need to determine cause of death.

Autopsy is the common term for both post-mortem types, though.

[jimmy olsen]

Did they discover the cause of death?

Foul play has been ruled out confirmed.

He was shot in the back of the head!