[Closed] That "surplus" Giraffe.

Just read an article claiming that Longleat put down six lions over the winter, including cubs. I reckon it's not that easy to rehome jungle animals.

I'd be interested in knowing how much the equivalent weight in meat for the zoos carnivores costs.

I'd be interested in knowing how much the equivalent weight in meat for the zoos carnivores costs.

Almost certainly less than the upkeep costs of a giraffe calf for two years.

Whats the problem? They wanted to reduce interbreeding. Killed the animal humanly and are going to use the meat/body for food and research. Seems like a good solution to me.

Were Findus involved in any way?

Read several zoo's offered to re-home it but to me sounds like the zoo couldn't be arsed to sort it out.

Thats interesting as the bbc radio 4 was adamant that they couldn't find any European zoos to take it as they were maxed out as well..so its lion fodder

Last paragraph from the link above

The director of a wildlife park in the Netherlands, Robert Krijuff, whose last-minute offer of a place was also rejected, said: "I can't believe it. We offered to save his life. Zoos need to change the way they do business."

And Yorkshire Wildlife Park also one in Sweden offered to take it in.

From what I've read, they planned to kill the giraffe because they couldn't find a home for him, then a few places stepped up at the last minute, but they went ahead and did it anyway. It's a shame they didn't check that there would be a home for him before they allowed his parents to breed, but at least the lions will get some authentic home cuisine out of it...

Animal eugenics

You've got some neck suggesting that.

It's a shame they didn't check that there would be a home for him before they allowed his parents to breed

I suspect part of the issue is not so much the parents, but what to do with a MALE giraffe, how many makes do you actually need and how many females?

Read several zoo's offered to re-home it but to me sounds like the zoo couldn't be arsed to sort it out.

I can imagine that, outside of the stresses on the animal itself, postage costs for a giraffe aren't cheap.
Or maybe it was outside the size limits for Royal Mail...

Come on crazy-legs giraffes a tall lanky things, wrap it in bubble wrap and any decent postie would scrunch it through a letter box no hassle.

It's not like they're troublesome to transport

[img] [/img]

Can we also put down surplus apostrophes - humanely - too?

[quote=crazy-legs ]I can imagine that, outside of the stresses on the animal itself, postage costs for a giraffe aren't cheap.
Or maybe it was outside the size limits for Royal Mail...

I'm sure they'd be happy to take it to an auction in Chertsey.

Can we also put down surplus apostrophes - humanely - too?

Can we also put down surplus "O" - humanely - to?

To where?

Why did they wait 2 years to kill it?

Not much of a meal for their tigers before.

I can imagine that, outside of the stresses on the animal itself, postage costs for a giraffe aren't cheap.
Or maybe it was outside the size limits for Royal Mail...

If it had been an elephant they could have transported it in the trunk.

Seems that its 'disposal' isn't the end of the story. They went "hey everyone, come and watch!"

https://twitter.com/OpRoar/status/432471028057387008/photo/1

[img] [/img]

More [url= http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jy40Cja6rGmotDrlx9Cqds8_n4sQ?docId=cd2ef7c9-2329-4097-bdd2-f115187c7c91&hl=en ]here[/url].

A crowd of visitors, including small children, looked on as the giraffe was put down [with a bolt gun]. Some grimaced while others took photos as he was autopsied and chopped up.

A full-maned lion later tucked into the giraffe's remains, fed to carnivores at the zoo.

Good grief.

(sorry, I've just realised that some of that was in the original link, I hadn't read it till now)

Pretty sad.

Still a bit 'meh' about it, spectacle or not. The giraffe could never be allowed to breed, so what happens in a few years when you want to keep it with a female or want to replace it with one than can? Put it down then when no one is watching?

I think it's a valuable lesson/issue that more people should be aware of, bucketed in with things like where does your meat come from and what happens to ill animals etc Too many folk are all too happy to gloss over the 'unpleasant' realities of it all.

This happens thousands of times every single day with cattle. Except it's not lions, it's you lot.

More about the costs associated with rehousing IMHO
Giraffes are 10 a penny but cost a bloody fortune to transport.

stop it molgrips, you are making me hungry, anyway I had bacon for breakfast so not guilty there on the old beef front!. maybe tomorrow, the local sandwich shop does a superb hot beef and horseradish bap.... no giraffe though

[quote=molgrips ]This happens thousands of times every single day with cattle. Except it's not lions, it's you lot.

Come to think of it, why aren't they selling giraffe steaks?

Should've kept the lions hungry for a couple of weeks and then let the surplus giraffe loose in the lion pen.Then let the giraffe's mum in for payback.Would've drawn a good crowd too.

I once had giraffe at The Carnivore in Nairobi. Was quite nice actually.

I once had giraffe at The Carnivore in Nairobi. Was quite nice actually.

not a whole one surely-do they do anything with its skin--looks like it would make a funky coat...

The whole thing can be summed up (like many other ****ed up things) in one word, 'Humans'.

The drumsticks look a bit big.

Lion eats giraffe - that's news? Much ado about nothing.

Lion eats giraffe - that's news? Much ado about nothing.

Reading or comprehension fail, surely?

That, or tedious trolling

I'd say that the trolling is the response of the media to a fairly understandable decision by a zoo director regarding managing the animals in his facility.

By making its execution a show and tell? "Hey kids, who wants to go and see a giraffe get shot in the head?" Yaaaay!!

I'd say that the trolling is the response of the media to a fairly understandable decision by a zoo director regarding managing the animals in his facility.

Evidently a reading / comprehension fail then, seeing as the reports quite clearly state that other zoos would have taken the animal in order to save it. Thus, executing it was merely a spectacle, for what purpose, who knows?

My reading comprehension is fine, thanks. Test your own on this brief passage:

“Why not transfer the giraffe to a zoo which is not part of the breeding programme or to a zoo that is interested in getting a giraffe?”

“Only zoos that follow certain rules can be part of international breeding programmes. In Europe this is only the zoos that are members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). EAZA is an association that counts just over 300 members.

As a member of EAZA you agree to the following rules of not selling animals, working on a scientific basis and ensuring animal welfare. The international breeding programmes are fully controlled and open and are collaborations between institutions that follow from the same set of rules. This is important for the breeding programmes to work.”

...and ensuring animal welfare.

They did well there. I'm sure it couldn't be better after being shot and butchered. I suspect it'll be going out for a beer with its mates tomorrow 🙄