Denmark: Zoo asks for pet donations to feed predators

A zoo in Denmark has called on small pet owners to donate healthy animals so they can be "gently euthanised" and used as food for predators.

The Aalborg Zoo, located in the west of the country, encouraged people with rabbits, chickens, or hamsters to donate them to help feed its lynxes.

The zoo stated that any live animals donated would be humanely put down by trained staff and that the entire animal would be used.

The decision, according to the zoo, is part of an effort to replicate the natural diet of the lynx in the wild. “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 on social media.

They 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.”

The online post sparked mixed reactions, with some condemning the initiative while others expressed concern over the ethics and perceived cruelty of the proposal.

(QG - Source: The Guardian  - Picture : © Unsplash)