Danish zoo asks for unwanted pets to feed its predators

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Danish zoo asks for unwanted pets to feed its predators


A close up of a Eurasian lynx. It has pointed ears and distinctive yellow-coloured eyes.
IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, The Eurasian lynx is among the predators that are expected to benefit from the scheme, the zoo says

Author, Michael Sheils McNamee
Role, BBC News
4 August 2025

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 predators.

Aalborg 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".

{snip}

[malaise]

1. Leave the predators in their natural environment

Last edited Tue Aug 5, 2025, 06:29 AM - Edit history (1)

That is all

[DFW]

2. You mean, those that we haven't destroyed yet! n/t

[RoeVWade]

4. Okay, I may have to question this one.

Terrible Zoos exist no doubt. Terrible zoos only capture, display and do nothing else.

But zoos also do preservation work on disappearing animals, threatened environments and even extinctions.

Zoos raise money by having people pay to come see them. They have to raise money to do these other things. The good ones do try to provide a natural environment. And the closer you get to natural environments and not just cages, the more money needed to develop and maintain areas, unless you have the availability of lots of space for such a natural environment that they can live off that land.

I can't say much about what animals eat. They eat. They have to eat something.

[JanMichael]

5. Humans....

[Kid Berwyn]

6. Got some pols who would do the trick.

Otherwise, the red hats aren’t doing anything useful.

[milestogo]

7. Are they going to sell tickets to this barbaric scene?

"healthy unwanted pets" should not have to be zoo feed.

[Dem2theMax]

8. This is where 'Eat the Rich' should come into play.