Zoo asks for unwanted pets to feed to captive predators
Aalborg zoo in northern Jutland issued a call for small healthy animals to be donated to ensure 'nothing goes to waste'.
In a social media post, the zookeepers suggested the animals would be fed to their contingent of European lynx.
'Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators,' the zoo said. 'Especially the European lynx, which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild.'
Owners could donate a maximum of four animals, zookeepers said, which would then be euthanised before being used as food.
Aalborg Zoo is also accepting donations of horses to be fed to its animals, provided they are accompanied with the correct paperwork. In Denmark, horse owners can receive tax deductions in some circumstances when donating animals to zoos.
Angry social media users expressed their outrage on the zoo's Instagram page. 'Shame on you,' one Instagram user wrote.
Another said: 'Asking people to send healthy animals that they don't want any more to you, so they can be slaughtered and fed to the zoo animals is one of the weirdest things I ever read.'
'Go vegan and stop supporting zoos,' wrote a third commentator, adding a green vomit emoji.
There was outrage last week when Nuremberg Zoo in Germany killed 12 healthy baboons, citing overcrowding in their enclosure, then fed them to the lions, tigers and wolves.
Gruesome spectacle for visitors
German media reported that the baboon corpses had their hands and feet removed before they were fed to the predators, in full view of visitors to the zoo.
The zoo has defended the decision, insisting it was a last resort after attempts to find other solutions to the overcrowding failed.
The furore over Aalborg Zoo is not the first time that a Danish zoo has drawn controversy for its approach to animal death and the brutality of nature.
In 2014, Marius, a male giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo, was killed by zoo authorities as his genes were too similar to other giraffes in their breeding programme.
Despite an international outcry from animal lovers, Marius was also publicly dissected 'to help educate people about wildlife'.
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The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Danish zoo asks pet owners to donate rabbits and horses to feed its predators
A zoo in Denmark is appealing for donations of healthy small pets to be 'gently euthanised' and fed to predators. Aalborg zoo has urged willing chicken, rabbit and guinea pig owners to hand over their pets to be eaten whole by animals including European lynx. Live donations, it said, would be killed by trained staff. It promised that 'nothing goes to waste', and also said it would 'gratefully' receive live horses. The zoo said such animals were needed in order to 'imitate the animals' natural food chain – for the sake of both animal welfare and professional integrity'. 'Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators,' Aalborg zoo wrote in a social media post alongside a picture of an openmouthed lynx. 'Especially the European lynx, which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild.' It added: 'If you have a healthy animal that needs to be put down for various reasons, you are welcome to donate it to us. The animals are gently euthanised by trained staff and then used as food. That way, nothing goes to waste – and we ensure natural behaviour, nutrition and wellbeing of our predators.' To find out more about the scheme, pet owners are encouraged to click on a web link – illustrated by a tiger tucking into a hunk of meat – that outlines the finer details of its pet euthanasia scheme. The zoo also said it would welcome horses, which would be slaughtered for food. 'Our needs vary throughout the year and there may be a waiting list,' it added. Any horse donated to the zoo must have a horse passport and come with the opportunity for a tax deduction on the horse's value, which is calculated on the basis of its weight. The social media post has attracted a wide array of reactions and comments. Some criticised the appeal, with one describing it as a 'sick invention'. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Others spoke out in support. 'I took a horse to the zoo a few years ago,' said one. 'It was the most peaceful and calm way it happened.' Pia Nielsen, deputy director of Aalborg zoo, said: 'For many years at Aalborg Zoo, we have fed our carnivores with smaller livestock. When keeping carnivores, it is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones etc 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. In Denmark, this practice is common, and many of our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute. The livestock we receive as donations are chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses.' Last week a zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, prompted outcry – including from a woman who glued her hands to the ground near the zoo entrance in protest - after culling 12 healthy Guinea baboons due to overcrowding in their enclosure and reportedly feeding them to the lions in view of the public.
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Aalborg Zoo asks for unwanted pets to feed its predators
A zoo in Denmark has appealed to the public to donate their healthy unwanted pets as part of a unique effort to provide food for its Zoo has asked for donations of live chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs, which it says are "gently euthanised" by trained staff. The zoo also accepts donations of live horses - with owners able to benefit from a potential tax break. Posting on Instagram, the zoo explains it has a "responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals" and smaller livestock "make up an important part of the diet of our predators". The zoo says the food provided in this way is "reminiscent of what it would naturally hunt in the wild" - and that this is especially true for the Eurasian predators being kept at the zoo include lions and small animals can be donated on weekdays, with no more than four at a time without an its website, underneath a picture of a tiger devouring a piece of meat, Aalborg Zoo lays out the conditions for donating be eligible they need to have a horse passport and cannot have been treated for an illness within the previous 30 they are successful in handing over their animals, horse donors can then receive a tax a statement, the zoo's deputy director, Pia Nielsen, said the zoo's carnivores had been fed smaller livestock "for many years"."When keeping carnivores, it is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones etc to give them as natural a diet as possible," she explained."Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanised 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. The livestock we receive as donations are chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses."
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Telegraph
Zoo asks for unwanted pets to feed to captive predators
A zoo in Denmark has appealed for unwanted pets to feed its predators. Aalborg zoo in northern Jutland issued a call for small healthy animals to be donated to ensure 'nothing goes to waste'. In a social media post, the zookeepers suggested the animals would be fed to their contingent of European lynx. 'Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators,' the zoo said. 'Especially the European lynx, which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild.' Owners could donate a maximum of four animals, zookeepers said, which would then be euthanised before being used as food. Aalborg Zoo is also accepting donations of horses to be fed to its animals, provided they are accompanied with the correct paperwork. In Denmark, horse owners can receive tax deductions in some circumstances when donating animals to zoos. Angry social media users expressed their outrage on the zoo's Instagram page. 'Shame on you,' one Instagram user wrote. Another said: 'Asking people to send healthy animals that they don't want any more to you, so they can be slaughtered and fed to the zoo animals is one of the weirdest things I ever read.' 'Go vegan and stop supporting zoos,' wrote a third commentator, adding a green vomit emoji. There was outrage last week when Nuremberg Zoo in Germany killed 12 healthy baboons, citing overcrowding in their enclosure, then fed them to the lions, tigers and wolves. Gruesome spectacle for visitors German media reported that the baboon corpses had their hands and feet removed before they were fed to the predators, in full view of visitors to the zoo. The zoo has defended the decision, insisting it was a last resort after attempts to find other solutions to the overcrowding failed. The furore over Aalborg Zoo is not the first time that a Danish zoo has drawn controversy for its approach to animal death and the brutality of nature. In 2014, Marius, a male giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo, was killed by zoo authorities as his genes were too similar to other giraffes in their breeding programme. Despite an international outcry from animal lovers, Marius was also publicly dissected 'to help educate people about wildlife'.
