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Killing of healthy giraffe leads to zoo euthanasia outrage
A giraffe in Copenhagen Zoo.
A giraffe in Copenhagen Zoo.

Zoo said giraffe was of no value to breeding progamme

The captive bolt gun killing of a healthy young giraffe in a Denmark zoo has led an international wildlife charity to demand change.

The Born Free Foundation (BFF) said Marius, an 18-month-old giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo, was killed and fed to the lions after zoo officials deemed he was of no value to its breeding programme.

The much publicise killing of Marius, has prompted the BFF to call for a change in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) policies regarding euthanasia.

The BFF argues that euthanasia should only be employed to prevent suffering of an individual animal and after all other options, such as relocation of the animal, have been exhausted.



Will Travers OBE, president of the BFF said: “Born Free, and the majority of the right-thinking world, is appalled at the killing of Marius the giraffe. The slaughter of healthy animals by zoos must stop.”



A spokesman for the BFF said the Zoo took the decision to kill Marius after determining that he was closely related to the other giraffes in European zoos and therefore of no value to their breeding programme.

It comes at the same time that Longleat Safari Park killed six of their lions - one on welfare grounds as a result of injuries from a fight in their enclosure; and five others due to suspected neurological problems from inbreeding.

Virginia McKenna OBE, founder of the BFF said: “I am appalled by the decision to kill this poor, healthy young giraffe.

"This is an outrage that highlights the urgent need to look more closely at all zoos and the welfare of animals forced to survive in zoo enclosures.

"Now is the time for people throughout Europe to demand that no more captive wild animals suffer the same tragic fate.”



Meanwhile research by the BFF has shown that the majority of species kept in zoos are not threatened with extinction in the wild.



Mr Travers said: “Zoos claim that their breeding programmes are contributing to conservation – I say: show me the evidence.

If keeping and breeding threatened species are priority for zoos, why then do they keep mostly common species?”

Visit www.bornfree.org.uk/zoocheck

Image by Einarspetz

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
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RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."