Joe from Eindhoven claims "Animal Rights Activists are spreading their propaganda is more like it. "zoos are overbreeding and creating a massive surplus of animals". Omg, and nothing to back that up!"

The evidence is there Joe for anyone who cares to look for it. With so many animals been born in zoos where do you think they all go? Zoos have a limited amount of space. Zoos admit there is a surplus and the EAZA supports the killing of these animals. For examples look at http://www.captiveanimals.org/news/2007/zoo_skins.html

chris, London,

I've read both articles carefully. Zoos are not killing tigers for the skin trade. Animal Rights Activists are spreading their propaganda is more like it. "zoos are overbreeding and creating a massive surplus of animals". Omg, and nothing to back that up! Dealing responsibly with the animal population in the zoo may well involve killing the occasional animal. That is *not* the same thing as breeding as many tigers as possible, killing them, and selling them for stuffing.

Joe, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

It is disgusting, and we, the human race should be disgraced by the way we treat this earth. Animals have the same right to be here, just as much as we do. We are not above them, so why do we act like we are?

Carly, Essex,

Oh yes, PR, there is nothing as stress-free as being removed from your natural environment and being kept in a cage for the rest of your life. And by the way, those of us who care and work to protect both animals AND humans are appalled by your attitude. Pain and suffering is pain and suffering, regardless of who deals with it.

Becci, Vancouver,

"they got old, suffered illness and then cost them money."

Cost them money?

I don't know who said that, but he should get fired. He works in a zoo and doesn't like animals... what the...?

Maltt, Quebec, Canada

This article is worthless without stating which zoos or more importantly which countries this is taking place in. Are these even real zoos? What do the laws in these countries say? Any other proof other than "some of us were offered skins"?

Do some real digging and expose it or don't report it at all.

cjk, lynchburg/ va, USA

That's a big, big shame.
a zoo should protect endagered animals
a zoo should keep "genetic bank" for the future
without these items, it is only a lager.

Elisabetta, Milan, Italy

Shall we do the same with humans? No illness, no pubilc health care.
Shame!

Arianna, Florence, Italy

Which zoos, where, so that we can all do something about it

riri, Johannesubrg, South Africa

Old news & not surprising. The main problem is that zoos are usually "public" facilities run by local government agencies. The management gets paid whether you approve of their policies or not. They also get paid whether the zoo is run efficiently or not, & being public agencies they are under pressure to bloat their payrolls, or to create unnecessary building projects to generate kickbacks. Many are close to bankruptcy.

At our zoo all the newest exhibits, including an indoor playground, don't have any actual animals (excluding humans). The walls are covered in political and ecological slogans to make sure YOU have the right attitude. Lack of animals cuts feed and veterinary care. A lot of rare and interesting creatures have unfortunately disappeared over the years, sold to animal liquidators, no questions asked.

The cover stories are often quite self-righteous, like telling visitors that the animals have been send away to "encourage genetic diversity".

Atash Hagmahani, Seattle, USA

We are talking about endangered species here, aren't we? I can't believe that anyone in their right mind would support killing these animals, just so that zoos can increase their profit margin. This is lunacy, and further proof that zoos do not exist for the benefit of the animals they keep locked up (in any case, most species in zoos aren't endangered anyway!). No, UK zoos may not be part of this 'killing for taxidermy' travesty - but what are they actually doing to try to prevent it?

Garry Sheen, Leigh-on-Sea, UK

PR of Cornwall, I have spent many years doing what I can to fight animal cruelty in various forms. (Luckily it is possible to 'get excited' over more than one issue) I have often noticed that the people who shout the loudest about animals not mattering 'because people are suffering,' are often the ones who do very little for anyone else - human or animal. Whether or not this applies to you PR, it seems to me that 'getting excited' might do you the world of good. Try and grow some soul, and remember that as a general rule, those people who care for animals often treat humans in a similar manner.

Miranda, Lincoln,

Surely, if there is a 'glut' in endanged species such as tigers, then the extra animals could be used in programmes to help re-populate the wild? This makes more sense than killing them for no real reason. However I've only just started studying Zoology at university, so I guess I don't know as much as the 'experts' do. But it makes no sense to breed and then kill an endangered species rather than breed and rehabilitate and repopulate the threatened wild population.

Charlotte , Shrewsbury, Shropshire

There is no governmental agency in the U.S. nor the U.K. that tracks the births, deaths and dispositions of zoo animals in an effective manner. As long as there is very little oversight, and the public can be kept from knowing the truth, these atrocities will continue. There is NO legitimate reason to breed wild animals for lives of confinement and deprivation and when people stop supporting the industry, it will become a thing of the past.

Carole Baskin, Tampa, USA Florida

As long as we don't mind eating the odd rasher of bacon, or steak, or egg, I think it's rather hypocritical to hyperventilate over this. These animals have had a very good life up to when they die, I'd hazard a guess much better than the average farm pig for instance.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to have better control over the breeding programs of tigers but if there is a glut, I guess I don't have a problem with the zoos getting a little extra income this way.

Of course to be honest I'd rather they didn't, it goes contrary to the image I have of a zoo (conservation of species, places of learning). But I accept that this is one way of dealing with an overpopulation of tigers.

Anja, London,

If you can't trust zoos to keep an animal SAFE, who and what can you trust? I am absolutely disgusted by this news. Shame shame on them. Those zoos give you lessons in how to protect an endangered specie, and behind the scene what is happening ... I have already visited zoos or what's called "animal park", but now if I would go again the doubt will always stay: does this zoo kills tigers (of other animals) for profit with the justification that those beautiful animals will get old and sick anyway and it is better to kill them before? What if everybody would kill they own children because "when they are old they would get Alzheimer's anyway??! This can NOT go on. Outrageous.

J.S. de Bruin, Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands

Come on PR of Cornwall.......is it too much to ask that you get 'excited 'about both abuse of animals and starving children ? And any other issues that one should be 'excited' about....all at the same time ! Seems to be a pity that one can only become 'excited' by one issue at any one time !

philip, Perth, WA

I think that 6K is just too much. a tiger skin can be had in China for less than 2K. Like everything else in British industry it is pricing itself out of the WW market. If we are serious about building a tiger skin industry in Britain we need to start by considering what a proper market clearing price should be.

The other thing that the zoos could consider is just selling a tiger foot. That way the tiger remains to be sold on later and it is paying for its keep in the meantime.

Michael, Singapore,

I was also surprised when Copenhagen Zoo killed 2 baby tigers recently. Especially when they are an indangered species. You would think Zoos would have a network in Europe where they could transfer unwanted animals especially the young ones. However this would cost money and everything is being made cost effective these days. A lethal injection is always the cheapest option.

Stephen Catchpole, Copenhagen, Denmark

It sounde counter-intuitive, but killing tiger can be the best way to save them. Cows are not an endangered species because you can get more for a beef carcass than it costs to keep one in captivity. Similarly, if zoos can get six thousand pounds for a tiger, that means more tigers can be kept.
A tiger would happily eat me for 6 thousand quid, so I don't mind wearings its fur. Conservation is not about animal rights.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

Farmers do this every day, so why the commotion? There are only so many tiger places available in zoos, they breed very prolifically so in particular male cubs are hard to find homes for. They cannot be let loose in the wild as people do not accept them there and poach them relentlessly for profit; Chinese "medicine" springs to mind. It is more humane to kill them and, if possible, recoup some of the cost of rearing them. That said, any respectable zoo will try and find a better way of locating their surplus animals. There are alternatives like "all male" groups; many zoos have them.

Frits Burghardt, Assen, Netherlands

What the hell are we doing in this world!! I am shocked, the thing we call the zoo, a place were we show our kids up close how animails look and behave, kill them for money!
What's next?
Tell everyone the names of these zoo's anb boycot them.

M. van Lambalgen, Weert, Netherlands

The current situationof the tigers survival is i believe very grave indeed,i believe that the numbers being quoted for the number of "wild tigers" still in existance is grossly over estimated,therefore every single tiger is important to the species survival,what is needed is a global plan to manage all the aspects needed for its survival,from policing reserves, to a massive intergrated breeding and "rewilding "program,this is a magnificent animal...worth saving...we need to act..NOW!

robert wilks, cheltenham, england

Zoos all over Europe, also the so-called "scientifically run" zoos, kill animals - tigers, lions, bears, deer or gazelle as they overbreed them. Animal babies attract visitors, but when these animals are a couple of years old and less cuddly and cute, they are killed to make space for new young ones. The zoos defend this practice by saying that it's an integral part of animals' lives to have and rear young. But as there are no places in other zoos to send them to they get killed when they're around 2 years old. Maybve not all zoos then sell the skins or carcasses, but they definitely kill of the surplus ones. Apart from the awful conditions most zoo animals have to live in, this is to me another reason never to visit zoos.

Helen Hansen, Zurich, Switzerland

Who are we ? Is this what we want from life ? Are we so miserable ? Where is our true heart ? Thanks to human heart by wish we live.Thanks to its tenderness , its joys , and fears . To me the meanest flower that blows can give Thoughts that do often lie to deep for tears . I hope one day we will be happy and respect our Planet earth .

Maia Franceschi, London, Uk

Relax! These animals are kept disease and stress free - unlike their wild counterparts. How can you get excited about this while CHILDREN are starving and abused?

PR, Cornwall,

Indeed Doreen, but isn't it an option to close all zoo's worldwide? (I agree with Jo, Singapore) or keep zoo's only for investors in nature? (And make zoo's better of course).

Hetty v.d. Berg, Gouda, The Netherlands

One problem with zoo tigers is that they are often crossbred between different subspecies, and so no use to the international captive-breeding programmes. I think quite a few crossbred tigers - and other creatures, like orang-utans - have been quietly sterilised or disappeared over the years.

Richard Haggis, Oxford, UK

Dont tell me anyone is surprised by this news! When humans go all the way up in the Artic to club baby seals to death shows how low we can go. We are trying desperately to extinguish everything beautiful that we have been blessed with, we dont deserve this planet we live in. We prefer to have tiger skins in our iving rooms, than real ones roaming wild, deer heads on the walls than real deers, elephant ivory tasks in a cupboard than real ones, crocodile shoes and bags than real crocodiles, communicate to people we do not know instead of talking to a real person and other strange things humans are doing. This is what happens when we do not believe in the existence of God. Our lives become empty, meaningless, purposeless, & boring. The result is more addiction from alcohol, drugs, affairs, material things, more crackpot ideas and more harry potter crap. We live in a real world with real people and real animals. Why dont we take care of the real thing and wake up now.

Virginia, Brisbane, Australia

When the animals are "put down" as the story says who at the zoo has the final say as to which animal? Surely this practice isn't exclusive to one breed. Also who receives payment for the skins? Is it the zoo, or the person who is in charge of the decision making as to the animals fate?

Randall, Chicago, USA / IL

I find it abhorent that man feels that he has the right to judge the future of any creature based on economic crieria. Unfortunately due to the lax animal cruelty laws in this country no prosecutions will arise from this. I would ask the TImes to name the zoos implicated so that the public can hit them where it really hurts with a total boycott.

Damien Quirk, Wakefield, West Yorkshire

In light of this shocking report the Zoo’s should be named and if British be prosecuted.

Hale, Zandvoort, Holland

This is absolutely disgraceful. I agree with Doreen Pettifer - why not name and shame the zoos concerned?

sue Shaw, Morpeth, UK

All zoos should be closed once and for all. If man cannot care for the enviroment so that animals can live in their own natural surroundngs then it is man who loses out in the end.
Just 'existing' in a zoo is no life for an animal.
These money grubbing people who kill and stuff animals purey for monetary and ego purposes are despicable and this easy way of providing them with their 'subject' should be stopped now.

Jo, Kranji, Singapore

Why haven't you named the zoos concerned? What is the loophole in the EU law that allows this disgraceful practice to take place? Why have you given us only half the story?

DOREEN PETTIFER, Leominster,