As someone with an interest in zoos and animal husbandry but lacking a lot of experience except as a visitor, how widespread is the culling of otherwise zoo stock and use of them to feed other animals? I guess I assumed zoos would refrain from breeding rather than produce surplus animals and that the slaughter of the giraffe that made headlines a few years back was an unusual situation, but in The Modern Ark by Vicki Croke she makes mention that the quiet culling of surplus hoofstock to feed carnivores is a common practice for many facilities in winter, and also means more babies the next year can be born to attract visitors. It makes sense I suppose. Are animals other than hoofstock readily bred to surplus and culled?
Not in the USA but about 5 years ago it was a big issue in Germany were several "wild-parks" were discovered to breed every year with their Brown bears ( baby bears attrack many visitors ) and at the end of the year these young ones disappeared in the illegal trade to end up at slaughter-houses were esp. their skins provided the owners with even some more money .
Worked at a US zoo for 8 years now. We’ve never culled extra hoofstock for any reason. Only time we did something like that is when we had about 20 extra chickens that we couldn’t re-home. They were euthanized and used as enrichment but only behind the scenes.
I work in an AZA zoo in the US. The practice of breeding animals and culling the surplus is not nearly as widespread in the States as it is in zoos in Europe. General practice in the States, at least within AZA, is to prevent breeding (through management or contraception) instead of breeding, then dealing with surplus animals. There are pros and cons to both methods. Also, if the giraffe you mention is the same one that I'm thinking of, that occurred at a zoo in Europe, not in the States.
I know it was a European event. I suppose it wasn't totally relevant. Interesting that it's more common in Europe, then. I appreciate everyone's responses! I know that it seems big cats and primates are usually put on birth control but I wasn't sure about the smaller rodents, marsupials etc and herd animals, that the public is usually less likely to get to know individually. It does seem a little off-putting to raise zoo animals and kill the extras every year, and I am a little glad if we opt for the contraception route here.
Oh, it isn't - it is just rather less-commonly admitted to outside certain collections. Breed to Cull happens in the USA, as it does in Europe and other parts of the world.
Yes, in the States its much more common to send surplus hoofstock to hunting ranches to be shot instead. The result is the same! Its a debate that will run and run and never be totally agreed. Personally, I think many zoo populations are threatened by the increasing policy not to cull and thousands of individuals are being denied the opportunities to express of their most fundamental behaviours and fullfil the sole purpose of their existence..
