Environment

Baby hippo could be fed to big cats at zoo unless home is found

by Amy Judd | March 14, 2009 at 01:51 pm

400 views | 31 Recommendations | 6 comments

A baby hippo, named Farasi, born at the Basel Zoo in Switzerland, may be fed to the big cats there because there might not be enough room for it there.

However there has been such a public outcry, zoo officials are saying that they are hoping this won't happen.

"There are rare cases in which we have to kill an animal" and feed it to carnivores, zoo spokeswoman Tanja Dietrich told the Associated Press on Friday. But it's unlikely to become an option for Farasi, Dietrich said, and will only be used after "all else has failed."

Farasi was born in November and was named 'Swiss of the Year' for 2008. But he is already 100 kilograms in weight and there is a lack of space. European zoos do sometimes euthanize animals they don't have room for and can't find homes for. Rather than waste the meat, the zoos feed the dead animals to other animals.
European zoos do not regulate the breeding of their animals the way other zoos do.
They either have to find the animal another home or they kill it.
No decision will be made about Farasi until he is weaned off his mother, in about 10 months or so.

Basel Zoo has previously stated it is only willing to send Farasi to another zoological facility.

The national circus, Circus Royal, has offered to take the hippo rather than let it be put down. Animal rights groups have also called on the zoo to send the baby hippo to a reserve in Africa.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Pythiian1

at 15:59 on March 14th, 2009

That's a dreadful solution, given there are other zoos around Europe that could give sanctuary to this hippo; or even send Farasi to some sanctuary in Africa.

jazzyzazzy

at 17:01 on March 14th, 2009

AWE, BARBARIC.Cant I adopt him.

Barry Artiste

at 17:48 on March 14th, 2009

thats just so wrong

eastvanray

at 18:25 on March 14th, 2009

Maybe Obama will bail the hippo out? He could become the mascot for the whole bailout. He's big enough!

73bigred

at 10:14 on March 17th, 2009

Doesn't Busch Gardens have a place for him in their Jungala.

Trekmad

at 01:17 on March 18th, 2009

Well, I was really concerned reading the story. How could they ever think to do such thing and avoid massive blaming from the public. For sure there must be a more acceptable solution.

Realy a bad move.

Trekmad has contributed a photo to this story.