Copenhagen Zoo, which sparked global protests over its killings of a young male giraffe and four lions, will continue to be open about its culling to show the truth about how animals are kept in captivity.
"We tell the story of what goes on behind the curtain to build credibility and we'll tell the story of how animals are managed and live," Steffen Straede, the zoo's chief executive officer, said in an interview. "I can't speak for animal parks elsewhere and why they aren't equally transparent, but I'd much rather do it our way than withholding information."
The 154-year-old institution this year triggered a wave of protests after it killed a giraffe named Marius to avoid inbreeding and then dissected him in public before feeding him to the lions. It then put down two lion cubs, saying they would have been slayed by a newly arrived young male, and also killed two adult lions, citing old age.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.