German zoo puts down healthy antelopes for population control

(MENAFN) Leipzig Zoo has euthanized four healthy lechwe antelopes, citing the need for population control. The decision, made on Friday, involved five "precision shots," and the carcasses were fed to other animals at the zoo. The zoo attempted to relocate the antelopes to another facility through the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria's Ex-situ Program, but the transfer was unsuccessful.

This case follows a similar one at Adelaide Zoo in Australia, where two lions were euthanized in October, one due to health issues and the other to spare her from loneliness after her companion passed away. Additionally, in 2022, three chimpanzees were shot at Sweden's Furuvik Zoo after escaping their enclosure, with the zoo citing safety concerns and insufficient tranquilizers.

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