A Danish zoo is asking local residents to donate their pets, so that they can be their hungry predators‘ lunch special.
The request was met with wild responses, as social media users began asking if they could donate their in-laws or even the children they had “grown tired” of.
“Are they taking children on the naughty list too? Asking for a parent (or two),” one asked online.
A Danish zoo asked locals to donate pets to be the main course for their hungry predators
Image credits: Google Maps
The Aalborg Zoo in Aalborg, Denmark, gave a shout-out to people raising small animals and said they could feed their “small pets” to the animals at the zoo.
The initiative was part of the zoo’s effort to feed their ferocious predators with food they would “naturally hunt in the wild.”
Image credits: Aalborg Zoo
“Did you know that you can donate smaller pets to Aalborg Zoo?” read the zoo’s post.
“Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators,” they continued. “Especially the European lynx, which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild.”
The Aalborg Zoo in Aalborg, Denmark, said they were accepting animals like chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and horses
Image credits: Aalborg Zoo
The northern Denmark zoo said they had the responsibility of mimicking the “natural food chain” to keep their carnivores happy. And to do this, the chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs belonging to outsiders could play a role.
“In zoos we have a responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals – in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity,” the zoo said.
Image credits: Aalborg Zoo
In cases where a healthy animal had to be put down for various reasons, people were welcome to donate them.
The donated animals would be gently euthanized by the zoo’s trained staff and then “used as fodder.”
“That way, nothing goes to waste – and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators,” they added.
Furthermore, the zoo also said it would accept horses, which would also be euthanized and fed to animals as well. They noted that the horses should have been treated for any kind of illness at least a month before they are donated.
The initiative was to fulfill the zoo’s responsibility of feeding their carnivores with food they would “naturally hunt in the wild”
Image credits: Aalborg Zoo
Horses that are a “maximum of 147 cm at the withers” would be accepted, and they must have horse passports, Aalborg Zoo said.
Regarding other species, they accepted small animals like chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time. But “no more than four at a time” would be accepted.
Image credits: Aalborg Zoo
The announcement triggered a riot of responses online, with one saying, “It gives ‘going to the zoo’ a whole new meaning! If you don’t behave you’re ‘going to the zoo!’”
“I’m gonna show this to my cats later when they yell at me,” one joked, while another quipped, “I can provide my neighbors cat..I’m tired of it in my flowers.”
“For all the people who are looking to get rid of there roosters .. consider this instead of dumping them!!” one said.
Another asked, “Can I donate my in-law?”
The donated animals would be gently euthanized by trained staff, the zoo said
Image credits: Zachariah Smith/Unsplash
But naysayers called it a “sick invention.”
“If you can’t afford to feed the animals, then close. Your request for house pets is insane,” one said.
The zoo responded to some parents who humorously offered to donate the children they had “grown tired” of.
“Your children are very welcome at the zoo, but not as food… here we only accept animals with feathers or fur,” the Danish zoo said.
They suggested visiting the zoo for a few hours to keep their children happy.
Image credits: Bonnie Kittle/Unsplash
Pia Nielsen, deputy director of Aalborg zoo, spoke about the initiative and said they have been feeding their carnivores with 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,” Pia said in a statement.
Parents humorously offered to donate the children they had “grown tired” of
Image credits: Aalborg Zoo
Pia asserted that it “makes sense” to let 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,” the statement added. “The livestock we receive as donations are chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses.”
Image credits: Aalborg Zoo
In 2014, another Danish zoo came under scrutiny for euthanizing a healthy young giraffe named Marius to avoid inbreeding.
Despite widespread protests, the 18-month-old giraffe was dismembered in front of an audience, including children, at the zoo.
The carcass of Marius was partly used for research and partly fed to the lions, tigers, and leopards at the zoo.
Another zoo in Sweden was under fire for putting down nine healthy lion cubs between 2012 to 2018 because they couldn’t afford to keep them.
Netizens had wild reactions to the zoo’s announcement
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