A zoo in Denmark is looking for donations of “small pets” to feed its larger predators
The Aalborg Zoo wrote on its Facebook page last week that it is accepting donations of chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs to feed its larger animals, including the European lynx
“In zoos, we have a responsibility to imitate the animals’ natural food chain — for reasons of both animal welfare and professional integrity,” the zoo wrote in its translated post
A Danish zoo is asking for the public’s help feeding its predators — and it’s hoping visitors’ pets can offer some assistance in the process.
On Thursday, July 31, the Aalborg Zoo in Aalborg, Denmark, shared a call-out to its Facebook page, informing locals that they can donate “small pets” to the zoo to help feed the zoo’s predators.
The northern Denmark zoo wrote in the since-translated post that chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs form an “important part” of the diet of some of its bigger species, specifically the European lynx.
The big cat, as the Aalborg Zoo wrote, needs prey that “resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild.”
“In zoos, we have a responsibility to imitate the animals’ natural food chain — for reasons of both animal welfare and professional integrity,” according to the Facebook post, which includes a photo of a wild cat. “If you have an animal that needs to leave here for various reasons, you are welcome to donate it to us.”
The zoo clarified that trained staff would then kill the donated animals “gently” before they’d be used as “feed” so that “nothing goes to waste” and the “natural behavior, nutrition, and well-being” of the resident animals is ensured.
Beyond the latest request for “small pets,” the zoo also has a page on its website dedicated to the donation of horses as feed, noting that it euthanizes and slaughters the animals and has specific criteria for donations.
The Aalborg Zoo accepts horses that are a “maximum of 147 cm at the withers,” have not been treated for illness in the past 30 days, and have horse passports. Those who donate can earn a tax deduction for the value of the horse, per the Danish zoo.
Chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs can also be donated on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time, but “no more than four at a time.”
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Locals appeared to have some fun in the zoo’s Facebook comments after the donation call-out, with one woman jokingly asking if the zoo would consider taking children if parents have “grown tired” of them.
“Your children are very welcome at the zoo, but not as food… here we only accept animals with feathers or fur,” the zoo responded, noting that a visit of a “few hours here always makes for happy children.”
Pia Nielsen, deputy director of the Aalborg Zoo, said in a statement shared by The Guardian that the zoo has “fed our carnivores with smaller livestock” for several years, and prefers to feed animals with fur and bones “to give them as natural a diet as possible.”
“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 said.