Second Danish zoo may put down another giraffe called Marius

What have Danes got against giraffes called Marius?

Remember the first healthy giraffe called Marius that was put down by Copenhagen Zoo a few days ago?

Well, the Guardian has reported that Jyllands Park zoo, in western Denmark, is thinking of killing another giraffe called Marius to make way for a female as part of the European breeding programme.

Jyllands Park has two male giraffes, but seven-year-old Marius is considered unsuitable for breeding, and so could be put down as a new home may be hard to fine for him.

An online petition has been set up to save his life.

The zookeeper at Jyllands Park, Janni Løjtved Poulsen, said: "If we are told we have to euthanise [Marius] we would of course do that."

She said the park managers would not to be deterred by protests over the killing of the previous Marius at Copenhagen zoo and the decision on Marius's future at Jyllands would be taken by the breeding programme co-ordinator.

Zoo officials at Copenhagen said they had received death threats after the 18-month-old animal was put down and dissected in front of children and parents before being fed to the lions.

Poulsen said: "We are completely behind Copenhagen and would have done the same."

The Jyllands Park giraffe is named after a former vet at the zoo, while Copenhagen zoo's scientific director, Bengt Holst, said: "The zoo keepers sometimes call the animals names, and then our guests have heard the name Marius, and that has then become the individual Marius."