Zoos in northern Denmark ask pet owners to donate unwanted guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens and even small horses.
In a Facebook post, Aalborg Zoo wrote that he was “trying to mimic the natural food chain of animals.”
“Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of predators,” he wrote in the post, along with an image of the sharp-toothed horny sims in open mice.
“If you do that, nothing will be wasted. And we will ensure the natural behavior, nutrition and happiness of predators,” the zoo added.
On its website, the zoo said the donated animals were “gently euthanized” by staff trained before being served as food. The zoo is home to carnivorous predators such as Asian lions, European lynxes and Sumatran tigers.
The zoo’s open request elicited lively debate online by protesting the idea of turning pets into prey and celebrating the zoo’s efforts to maintain natural eating behavior.
Pia Nielsen, deputy director of Aalborg Zoo, said in an emailed statement that the initiative has been in place for many years and is a common practice in Denmark.
“For many years at Aalborg Zoo, we have been feeding small livestock to carnivorous animals. When we keep a carnivorous animal, we need to provide meat to provide meat, preferably fur, bones, etc,” Nielsen said.
“Therefore, it makes sense to make this possible to use animals that need to be euthanized for a variety of reasons.”
“In Denmark, this practice is common, and many of our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute. The livestock we receive as a donation are chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and horses.”
Carnivorous animals fill a central niche in the ecosystem, Nielsen added, saying they play an important role in the balance of nature.
It is not the first time that a Danish zoo has been scrutinized about how animals are fed and controlled by populations.
In 2014, the Danish capital, Copenhagen Zoo euthanized a healthy young giraffe named Marius to avoid inbreeding despite attempting to stop moving. The corpse was used in part for research purposes, and in part for supplying zoos, lions, tigers and leopard carnivorous animals.
A few weeks later, when the zoo euthanized four of these lions, public criticism ignited again, giving way to new men in the hopes of breeding a new generation of cubs.
