[Taxacom] Killing of zoo giraffe to avoid inbreeding

[Ken Kinman]

Hi Jason,        I certainly agree.  It's a public relations disaster that should have been anticipated, especially cutting him up in a public setting after the public was already clearly upset about putting him down.  The following news story is a good one from a Canadian perspective:          
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/giraffe-s-killing-in-copenhagen-reveals-zoos-dark-culling-practices-1.2530562

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> Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:40:04 +0100
> From: aphodiinaemate at gmail.com
> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Killing of zoo giraffe to avoid inbreeding
> 
> I don´t think anybody (in this forum at least) is arguing against the
> logic that Marius was, genetically speaking, dispensable. However the
> emotional argument has been an unmitigated disaster:
> 
> Google hits for Marius the Giraffe 110,000
> Google hits for Giraffe conservation 6,920
> 
> He even has a Wikipedia page! Not a little one mind you, but a
> detailed one started three days ago. The best bit is this: "Known for:
> Killed and fed to the lions". Now this is publicity money just can´t
> buy.
> 
> The media coverage is even better. You´d think Copenhagen zoo is
> running a modern version of the Fabulous Gourmet Club. Those 200
> pounds of flesh are going to be awfully expensive. Geez. Couldn´t they
> plug the animal before giving it a name and buried it?
> 
> I think an infusion of realpolitik in the whole affair would have been
> a better approach. Yes, couch nature enthusiasts may be ignorant, or
> emotional, or mushy-headed bleeding hearts, but that is the public,
> the ones that decides with their feet where to go for fun and
> ultimately where tax dollars go to. So once the giraffe became Marius
> The Giraffe and the euthanasia plan broke out in the news channels,
> salvage the situation somehow to avoid the backlash.  But carving
> Melman and feeding it to Alex, well... it´s a tabloids dream.
> 
> Best
> 
> Jason
> 
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