Zoological Park Leipzig euthanizes three newborn tigers
PETA Challenges Leipzig Zoo Over Euthanized Tiger Cubs
Animal rights organisation PETA has threatened to file a complaint against the Leipzig Zoo in Germany, questioning the morality and legality of the recent euthanization of three Amur tiger cubs.
The cubs, born to the tigress Yushka on Wednesday evening, were euthanized after their mother refused to care for them, leading to their decline in health. The zoo defended its decision, stating that the cubs were suffering from starvation and that hand-rearing was not appropriate for this wild species.
PETA, however, argues that the cubs' deaths could have been avoided and that the zoo's breeding program is senseless, as Amur tigers have no place in Leipzig. The organisation also criticises captive breeding as ineffective for species conservation, as the animals cannot be released into the wild.
The zoo's breeding goal is to produce animals without malformations. However, PETA demands an immediate halt to the breeding programs for Siberian tigers, citing the cubs' euthanization as a result of the program.
This is not the first time the Leipzig Zoo has faced criticism. In 2023, the zoo faced a storm of protest for slaughtering a healthy zebra stallion and feeding it to its lions.
PETA's campaign leader, Peter Höffken, aims to use their complaint to examine the legality of the cubs' killing and to break the "vicious cycle of breeding and killing". Höffken has also threatened to file a criminal complaint against the Nuremberg Zoo for the killing of baboons in July, which animal rights activists consider illegal.
Initial reports suggest that Yushka licked her newborns dry, but later turned away from them for several hours. The cubs became chilled and increasingly weak in the two days that the mother did not care for them.
The zoo director defended the killing as a "common practice", while PETA sees it as a tragic example of the consequences of captive breeding. The organisation urges the public to support their campaign to end the breeding and exploitation of wild animals in zoos.
[1] PETA's Statement on Leipzig Zoo Euthanizing Amur Tiger Cubs
[2] Leipzig Zoo Defends Euthanizing Tiger Cubs Due to Mother's Neglect
[1] PETA is demanding a halt to Leipzig Zoo's Siberian tiger breeding program, citing the euthanization of three Amur tiger cubs as a result of the program and arguing that the cubs' deaths could have been avoided.
[2] PETA criticizes the Leipzig Zoo for its practice of euthanizing wild animals, stating that the recent euthanization of the Amur tiger cubs is a tragic example of the consequences of captive breeding for species like sports.
