Genetically defective lions killed at attraction

Longleat Safari Park, which is on the estate of the Marquess of Bath near Warminster, said it had no choice but to put down lioness Louisa and her cubs because they displayed “odd aggressive behaviour”.

A sixth lion, called Henry, was also destroyed at the park on “welfare grounds” after being severely injured in an attack by his brother and Louisa last month.

The action comes after staff at Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark, killed a healthy giraffe on Sunday before feeding it to lions in front of visitors despite a 20,000 people signing an online petition to save it. Officials blamed rules imposed by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) designed to deter inbreeding.

The decision to destroy the male giraffe, named Marius, has resulted in death threats being levelled at the zoo’s scientific director, Bengt Holst.

Longleat said that in addition to Henry, Louisa and her four cubs being killed, a further five will be moved to other premises to alleviate the problem.

Over the past six months, staff noticed an increase in violence among the pride in one of the enclosures after multiple pregnancies saw its population soar by 40 per cent.

The park said: “After considering the pressures in the group, due to the recent increase in pregnancies, and the developmental disorders present in the cubs it was reluctantly decided that euthanasia was the responsible option for these individuals.”