On May 7th 2020 the Oakland Zoo acquired a young female giraffe to breed. The future calf will be born into a life of captivity.

The new giraffe, two year old female Kijiji, is from the Kansas based Lee Richardson Zoo. She will be bred when she reaches maturity, at age four. The Oakland Zoo says that they are hoping for a "love connection" with a male named Mabusu in a couple of years. She was chosen to bring genetic diversity to the captive giraffe population. There is, however, a dirty little secret behind the selective breeding giraffes in captivity. In 2014 a giraffe named Marius was born at the Copenhagen Zoo. He, however, did not end up with the correct genetics, ones that furthered diversity. He—or rather his genetics—were considered redundant. So Marius, a healthy, eighteen month old giraffe, was shot in the head and slaughtered. In front of patrons his meat was fed to the lions at the zoo.

Having giraffe, per the Oakland Zoo, is a way to bring "awareness and appreciation." But at what price—for the existing herd as well as for the potential future calf that will be born into captivity. All zoos—including Oakland’s—should be doing the opposite, moving away from housing large and exotic animals destined to live out a life of captivity. It is, plain and simple, cruel. Especially when education and appreciation can be achieved vis-a-vis technology without having to have sentient beings sacrificed.

There’s a difference between saving an animal’s life in sanctuary or even a zoo. But it’s a whole other story to be breeding, allowing the cycle of captivity to continue.

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