Zoo kills giraffe and feeds it to lions in front of crowds

COPENHAGEN Zoo has gone ahead with its plan to kill a male giraffe and feed it to lions in front of onlookers, despite being offered $680,000 to back away from the idea.

Marius, a male giraffe, was killed before being dissected and fed to lions.

The zoo turned down the $680,000 offer  from a private individual to save the life of  the healthy giraffe, saying it was  following inbreeding recommendations made by a European association.

The two-year-old giraffe was put down using a bolt pistol and its meat was being fed to carnivores at the zoo, spokesman Tobias Stenbaek Bro said.

Visitors, including children, were invited to watch while the giraffe was dissected.