Swiss zoo culls endangered lion cubs

London Daily Telegraph ^ | july 29th, 2007 | DancesWithCats

[DancesWithCats]

A Swiss zoo has provoked public dismay by culling two endangered Namibian lion cubs because it did not have space for them.

In June, Basel Zoo proudly announced that a five-year-old lioness, imported from Namibia, had given birth to four cubs; three males and one female. However, last week the zoo decided to put two of the male cubs to sleep and feed their carcasses to other animals. It explained that the lion enclosure was not big enough for them and said it could not find another zoo to adopt them.Thomas Jermann, a curator, said that if the cubs had been put in the enclosure, they would have posed a threat to the leading male in the pride, who would have killed them. "In nature, most of the cubs die within the first year. This is normal," he said.

The zoo has kept one male and one female, but admits it will also have to find them a home. "We tried every zoo we could think of. Hopefully, it will be easier to find a home for two," said Mr Jermann.

He said it was normal to cull cubs and to feed them to other animals. "If there are animals you can feed them to, you feed them. It is the same as a farm, we are producers of meat, and we put the meat into the food chain," he said.

[DancesWithCats]

If the Phoenix Zoo did this, I'm sure the public would be a tad more than 'dismayed'.

[DancesWithCats]

Lioness with the two remaining lucky cubs.

[Gay State Conservative]

Planned Parenthood is branching out.

[LibFreeOrDie]

There are many private sanctuaries that would have taken them.

Perhaps PETA is branching out into zoo management?

[DancesWithCats]

Mr. Jermann sounds like a Nazi ... culling the undesirables in his opinion. I’d like to beat him to death with a baseball bat and feed HIS carcass to the turkey vultures.

[DancesWithCats]

Y’know, by Mr. Jermann’s logic? Maybe we should pack up all the euthanized animals from our animal shelters and reduce the cost of feeding zoo animals.

[spokeshave]

Someone got a nice pair of wall hangings/cushions

[spokeshave]

Also the BBQ....yummy steaks....lion better than beef.

[Jeff Chandler]

Also the BBQ....yummy steaks....lion better than beef.

Yeah, you ain't... I can't do it.

[Slings and Arrows]

Now I know why the lions are endangered.

[zencat]

Sooo sad.... I just couldn’t do it to those cubs, knowing the beautiful animals they’d grow into. Special spot for cats I have.

[Fawn]

and said it could not find another zoo to adopt them.

B.S.

[DancesWithCats]

B.S.

'zactly. That says it all. The freaks.

[Lady Jag]

First nail him to plywood, then let’s diiscuss it.

[Lady Jag]

As a return gesture, remaining lions culled Thomas Jermannd . . .

[Spyder]

Good one!

[DancesWithCats]

I LOVE IT! They Jermannated him.

[Lady Jag]

Thank you

[Biggirl]

NUTS!!!!

[Lady Jag]

Maybe Gnut the polar bear and the two remaining cubs can get together and confabulate about this.