Culling animals in zoos is the process of segregating animals from a group according to desired or undesired characteristics; the process often ends with the segregated animals being killed. Several reasons are given for culling in zoos, including a lack of space, the genes of the culled animals are over-represented in the zoo population, the (young) animal might be attacked or killed, or the culled animals have contracted a disease. Mark Bekoff, an American biologist and ethologist coined the term "zoothanasia" to describe zoo culling.

Because animals in zoos are killed for many reasons, such as old age or disease, just as pet animals are often euthanized because of health problems, it is beyond the scope of this list to identify every case where an animal is killed in a zoo. The list focuses on controversial, unusual or otherwise noteworthy cases where the incident was reported in national or international sources.

List

The following is a list of animals where their culling and euthanisation in zoos and wildlife (safari) parks has been covered by the general media.

CountryZooSpecies (Common name)Species (Taxonomic name)Year Number Reason given by zooSourceUnited StatesMaryland ZooAfrican elephantElephas africana20241Elderly animalUnited StatesNational ZooAsian elephantElephas maximus20241 KamalaElderly animalDenmarkAalborg ZooAfrican elephantElephas africana20242Elderly animalsScotlandCamperdown Wildlife CentreWolfCanis lupus lupus20234Agitation after the death of pack leaderSwitzerlandBasel ZooOrangutan Pongo pygmaeus20221Zoo did not wish to hand rear infant after mother's deathTaiwanTaipei ZooGiant pandaAiluropoda melanoleuca20221 Tuan Tuan (panda)Suffering multiple seizures brought on by gemistocytic astrocytoma lesions on his brainDenmarkCopenhagen ZooWolfCanis lupus lupus20203Make space for new animalDenmarkCopenhagen ZooLionPanthera leo20144Make space for new animalDenmarkCopenhagen ZooGiraffe Giraffa camelopardalis20141 (Marius)Prevent inbreedingDenmarkOdense ZooLionPanthera leo20142Germany Magdeburg ZooSiberian tigerPanthera tigris altaica20103 (cubs)Cubs were hybridsEnglandWoburn Safari ParkRhesus macaqueMacaca mulatta2000215Infected with a virusSwitzerlandBern ZooNamibian lionPanthera leo20072 (cubs)Insufficient spaceEnglandPaignton ZooPeacock2007 7 Complaints from neighbours about noiseDenmarkCopenhagen ZooLeopard Panthera pardus20122 (cubs)Genes were over-representedDenmarkCopenhagen ZooLionPanthera leo20144 (including 2 cubs)To make space for another maleAustraliaAdelaide zooGreater flamingoPhoenicopterus roseus20141 Greater (flamingo)ArthritisCanadaAssiniboine Park ZooPolar bearUrsus maritimus20081 Debby (polar bear)Multiple organ failureUnited StatesCentral Park ZooPolar bearUrsus maritimus20131 Gus (polar bear)Inoperable tumourSpainBarcelona ZooWestern lowland gorillaGorilla gorilla gorilla20031 Snowflake (gorilla)Skin cancerNetherlandsDolfinarium HarderwijkWalrusOdobenus rosmarus20131 Igor (walrus)Shoulder-joint problemsGermanyLeipzig ZooVirginia opossumDidelphis virginiana20111 Heidi (opossum)Age-related health problemsUnited StatesWild Adventures Theme ParkAsian elephantElephas maximus20111 Queenie (waterskiing elephant)Deteriorating health United StatesOklahoma City ZooSea lion20101 Midge the Sea LionLung cancer New ZealandAuckland ZooAsian elephant20091 Kashin (elephant)Arthritis and foot abscessAustraliaSouthern Ash Wildlife CentreKoala20091 Sam (koala)Urogenital chlamydiosisUnited StatesBirmingham ZooWestern lowland gorillaGorilla gorilla gorilla20081 BabecHeart diseaseUnited StatesSanta Barbara ZooRothschild's giraffeG. c. rothschild20081 Gemina (giraffe)Deteriorating healthUnited StatesDallas ZooWestern lowland gorilla20081 Jenny (gorilla)Inoperable tumour

Summary quotes "...five giraffes have been put down by zoos in Denmark since 2012." "Dr Lesley Dickie, executive director of EAZA, [said] that between 3,000 and 5,000 healthy animals are put down every year across Europe. 'That’s our estimate for all animals management euthanised in the zoo, be it tadpoles up until a giraffe'. Among those killed were 22 healthy zebras, four hippos and two Arabian Oryx were also put down. The Oryx were killed at Edinburgh and London zoos in 2000 and 2001."

See also Animal euthanasia

References

External links EAZA statement on euthanasia.