This is a really bad week to be a Giraffe named Marius in Denmark.  A second Danish zoo says it is considering euthanizing a perfectly healthy young, male giraffe in its care for what many consider questionable reasons.

On Sunday morning, keepers at Copenhagen Zoo fed a young giraffe named Marius his favorite meal of Rye Bread – and then a veterinarian applied a bolt gun to the animal’s head, instantly killing it.  Then, the carcass was butchered and fed to the lions, in full view of zoo patrons including little children.  Officials say Marius was too closely related to the female giraffes, and any potential offspring would be inbred.

The move drew outrage from people all over the world who believe that zoos ought to exist to protect and care for animals.  Thousands even signed petitions asking that Marius be spared, and several other facilities offered to take Marius.  New petitions are calling for the Danish Zoos to be closed and officials fired.

Now, Jyllands Park Zoo in western Denmark says it may put down its male giraffe, a seven-year-old also named Marius.  Jyllands Park has just been approved to take part in a giraffe-breeding program, and like his downtown namesake, Marius is considered unsuitable for breeding.  If the zoo acquires a female, Marius will have to go.

“We can't have two males and one female.  Then there will be fights,” said Jyllands Park Zoo keeper Janni Lojtved Poulsen, who also supports Copenhagen Zoo’s killing of the 18-month old baby Marius.

WTH do Danish zoos have against giraffes named Marius?