A zoo in Denmark asked patrons to donate their pets.
Not attractions, but for food
A European zoo stirred up intrigue and controversy after a social media post asking for surplus pets to be donated to feed captive animals went viral.
In a post on Facebook, the Aalborg Zoo in Denmark asked people to donate unwanted pets that would be “gently euthanized” and fed to predators in captivity.
“Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators – especially the European lynx, which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild,” the zoo wrote.
“In zoos we have a responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals – in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity,” the post continued. “That way, nothing goes to waste – and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators.”
The Facebook post quickly became a battleground between commenters who were appalled at the concept of euthanizing healthy pets for animal feed, and those who applauded the zoo for its method of maintaining a practical food supply for its animals.
“This is a joke right,” one enraged commenter wrote. “No one would bring his healthy pet to a zoo so they can kill it and feed it to their animals.”
The Aalborg Zoo says dogs and cats are excluded from the program. Donatable animals are limited to chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses, it says, adding that this is a practice it has maintained with patrons for years.
“Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanized for various reasons to be of use in this way. In Denmark, this practice is common, and many of our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute,” Nielsen added.
Experts say that it is important for captive animals to be fed whole animal parts, including fur, bones and organs, to maintain the sort of eating habits they would exhibit in the wild.
“Feeding vertebrate animal carcasses to captive carnivores has been a management tool used by zoos in the United States for many years,” the advisory group said in a statement.