A zoo in Denmark has come under fire for seeking unwanted family pets to feed its predators.
The Aalborg Zoo took to Facebook, asking people to donate animals like chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs in a bid to “imitate the natural food chain of the animals”.
“That way, nothing goes to waste – and we ensure natural behaviour, nutrition and well-being of our predators,” the post said.
On its website, the zoo said the donated animals would be “gently euthanised” by trained staff before being served up as food.
The zoo is home to carnivorous predators, including the Asiatic lion, European lynx and Sumatran tiger.
Its public request drew heated debate online, with many against the idea of turning pets into prey, but others praised the zoo’s efforts to maintain natural feeding behaviours.
Deputy director of Aalborg Zoo, Pia Nielsen, said the initiative had been in place for years and was common practice for zoos in Denmark.
“For many years at Aalborg Zoo, we have fed our carnivores with smaller livestock,” she said.
“When keeping carnivores, it is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones, to give them as natural a diet as possible.
“Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanised for various reasons to be of use in this way.”
Local Trine Lauridsen said she had donated animals to the zoo in the past, including her horses.
“I think it’s a good thing when you say goodbye to your animals, that it serves a good purpose,” she said.
“If they come to a slaughterhouse, where it really smells of death. That is something that few horses like.
“It’s nicer to go to a zoo; the animals are calm, maybe they get to grass and get an extra treat and then it’s just over.”
It is not the first time that a zoo in Denmark has come under scrutiny for the way animals are fed.
In 2014, the Copenhagen Zoo euthanised a healthy young giraffe named Marius to avoid inbreeding, despite a petition to stop the move.
Its carcass was then used for research and to feed carnivores at the same zoo.
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