Horrifying Images Emerge Of Giraffe Being Killed And Dissected In Front Of Zoo Visitors [GRAPHIC]

On Sunday, a zoo in Copenhagen shot and cut up a healthy giraffe before feeding it to lions.

A crowd that included small children watched as the 18-month-old giraffe, named Marius, was dismembered by veterinarians.

The zoo says the animal was put down to prevent interbreeding, according to the AFP.

The incident caused an uproar among animal activists. Protests outside the zoo on the day of the killing and an online petition that gathered more than 25,000 signatures was not able to save Marius.

According to Reuters, Marius was given his favorite breakfast of rye bread before he was shot with a bolt gun.

Below are some pictures from the dissection. (WARNING: Some of these pictures are graphic).

Here's Marius the giraffe. This photo was taken a couple of days before he was shot.

Marius was killed on Sunday to prevent interbreeding among the other giraffes at the zoo.

After Marius was show, veterinarians cut apart the carcass.

A veterinarian holds a leg of the giraffe while it was being dismembered. Some of the meat was fed to the zoo's lions and the rest was sent to research institution in Denmark and other parts of the world.

Children look at the carcass of the giraffe Marius after it was killed.

Marius was killed despite protests outside the zoo and online petitions to save him.