Several healthy meerkats have been euthanized at the zoo Diergaarde Blijdorp in the Netherlands after ongoing conflicts between males in the group.
The zoo said it first tried to separate the animals and looked for other zoos that could take them in, but no places were available. In the end, around seven meerkats were put down.
Meerkats are highly social animals that live in groups led by a dominant male and female. In the wild, males that lose fights over dominance can leave the group and find a new territory. In zoos, where animals live in captivity, that is not possible.
The animals were part of a European breeding programme. According to the zoo, there were too many males in the group, leading to repeated conflicts.
The decision has renewed debate about population management in zoos and the practice of euthanizing healthy animals when no alternative can be found.
https://www.theanimalreader.com/2026/06/02/rotterdam-zoo-euthanizes-healthy-meerkats-after-conflict/