Science

Controversial Copenhagen Zoo Kills Four Healthy Lions

Two lionesses are seen in Copenhagen Zoo on Wednesday, March 26, 2014. A Danish zoo on Wednesday defended its decision to kill two aging lions and two cubs, citing the risk of inbreeding and the arrival of a new male. This week's cull has put the Copenhagen Zoo on the defensive again, a month after it infuriated animal rights activists by killing a healthy giraffe, dissecting it in public and feeding it to the lions. (AP Photo, Jens Dresling) AP

A Danish zoo that received death threats after euthanizing and dismembering a healthy giraffe in front of a live audience last month is at the center of another controversy this week.

CNN reports that the Copenhagen Zoo killed four lions to make way for a new male lion brought into the facility.

A statement on the zoo’s website said the killings were necessary to prevent inbreeding, after efforts to move the animals to another facility proved unsuccessful:

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National Geographic reports that such killings do not take place in U.S. zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria noted in a statement that the zoo “had not broken any of its codes of conduct.’’

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That acknowledgement hasn’t done much to quell the controversy — as of Thursday, a Facebook page titled “Close Copenhagen Zoo’’ had over 37,000 likes.

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