Surplus Male
by
Caitlin Bagwell
The zookeepers told the children to come to the front, the cameramen were told to kneel behind the babes, and the parents filled in the encircled audience. Marius the giraffe needed to be culled and the zookeepers intended the act to be educational so on this frosty day in winter the eighteen-month-old Marius was to be shot in the head, dissected, and fed to the lions in the name of conservation. Marius was considered genetically unsuitable for future breeding.
“Can you hear me?” The lead Zookeeper, Thor Jessen, tapped his headset microphone. When the crowd nodded he said, “Let’s begin.”
Marious was lead out by a young woman. He was a spritely colt in slow motion. He bowed his bovine head and the wave of motion arced across his long neck, down his back and came out his spindly legs. She affectionately slapped his neck, her white skin snowy against the chocolate-peanut butter of his. As he was led to the killing floor the vet quietly came up behind the animal, brought the Winchester to the big brown eye and shot.
“A giraffe’s blood pressure is almost twice that of a human’s, can any of you kids tell me why?” Thor stepped between Marius’s crumpled legs and pushed him onto his side.
A girl that looked like a big-headed lollipop in her hat raised her hand, “is Marius in Heaven now?”
“Charles Darwin could not figure out where the giraffe’s neck came from. How does an animal have a brain so far from its heart? Marius’ skin was a taught drum skein that was holding back an ocean of guts. The crowd had to step back as Thor gutted Marius.
“The skin acts as a compression suit to help keep blood flowing to the brain.”
“Why did Marius have to die?” A boy who looked like Santa’s elf waved his little green mitten at Thor.
“As you can see, this giraffe was male and we have too many males like him. Do you think the giraffe has a huge heart?” The question seemed to hang in the air like the steam off of Marius’ gelatinous guts.
The cameras swiveled between the children and Marius to capture the drama. One boy shouted, “If Marius had been a girl, he would still be alive?”
“Unfortunately, males are expendable in zoos.” Thor hewed Marius in half and cut his heart out. “As you can see, for such a long neck the heart is small, maybe only twenty pounds.”
Thor held the twenty pound heart aloft for all to see. “Think if this heart like a turbine instead of a propeller.”
Thor dissected the heart to pieces and handed a chunk of flesh to each child. “See if you can taste the difference between giraffe and venison.”
The children understood. The boys grabbed a girl’s hand. Two by two the children fell upon Marius, ravenous, gnawing. “Please children, save some for the lions.” Progress stops for no man. “Can you hear me?”
“Can you hear me?” The lead Zookeeper, Thor Jessen, tapped his headset microphone. When the crowd nodded he said, “Let’s begin.”
Marious was lead out by a young woman. He was a spritely colt in slow motion. He bowed his bovine head and the wave of motion arced across his long neck, down his back and came out his spindly legs. She affectionately slapped his neck, her white skin snowy against the chocolate-peanut butter of his. As he was led to the killing floor the vet quietly came up behind the animal, brought the Winchester to the big brown eye and shot.
“A giraffe’s blood pressure is almost twice that of a human’s, can any of you kids tell me why?” Thor stepped between Marius’s crumpled legs and pushed him onto his side.
A girl that looked like a big-headed lollipop in her hat raised her hand, “is Marius in Heaven now?”
“Charles Darwin could not figure out where the giraffe’s neck came from. How does an animal have a brain so far from its heart? Marius’ skin was a taught drum skein that was holding back an ocean of guts. The crowd had to step back as Thor gutted Marius.
“The skin acts as a compression suit to help keep blood flowing to the brain.”
“Why did Marius have to die?” A boy who looked like Santa’s elf waved his little green mitten at Thor.
“As you can see, this giraffe was male and we have too many males like him. Do you think the giraffe has a huge heart?” The question seemed to hang in the air like the steam off of Marius’ gelatinous guts.
The cameras swiveled between the children and Marius to capture the drama. One boy shouted, “If Marius had been a girl, he would still be alive?”
“Unfortunately, males are expendable in zoos.” Thor hewed Marius in half and cut his heart out. “As you can see, for such a long neck the heart is small, maybe only twenty pounds.”
Thor held the twenty pound heart aloft for all to see. “Think if this heart like a turbine instead of a propeller.”
Thor dissected the heart to pieces and handed a chunk of flesh to each child. “See if you can taste the difference between giraffe and venison.”
The children understood. The boys grabbed a girl’s hand. Two by two the children fell upon Marius, ravenous, gnawing. “Please children, save some for the lions.” Progress stops for no man. “Can you hear me?”
NUNUM
Blending Flash Fiction & Art
