Zoo asks public to donate ‘healthy pets’ as food for their large caged animals

Zoos have an immense responsibility to offer the most natural lifestyle to their caged animals while ensuring sustainability. Hunting for smaller animals out in the wild to feed the larger predators is not feasible for zookeepers, but one zoo in Denmark has made a unique effort to uphold the natural diets of animals. The Aalborg Zoo houses a wide variety of apex predators like lions and tigers, which require a stable supply of livestock to keep them fed. To achieve that, the zoo has appealed to the public for donations of their healthy, unwanted pets, which shall serve as a natural food source for the predators, as stated in an Instagram announcement on @aalborgzoo. 

The Aalborg Zoo, determined in its mission to supply food to the predators, curated an intriguing post with the picture of a wild cat. “Did you know that you can donate smaller pets to Aalborg Zoo?” the caption teased. Donations of smaller pets and livestock animals, including chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses, are welcome from pet owners. This is done to essentially “imitate the natural food chain of the animals, in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity.” Livestock animals make a significant proportion of predator diets, particularly in the wild European locust, which requires “whole prey” similar to what it would hunt naturally. 

“If you have a healthy animal that needs to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us,” the zoo announcement read. The donated animals will be “gently euthanized” by their trained staff and provided as fodder to their respective predators. The Aalborg zoo views this strategy as a sustainable way to utilize animals that are unwanted or require euthanization and prevent wastage. In exchange, the zoo promises to maintain the natural behavior, nutrition, and well-being of its caged predators. Apparently, the post had caught widespread attention, even from international viewers, with mixed reactions about their donation requests. Therefore, to avoid the hateful reactions, the comments on the post were turned off by the zoo. 

Additional conditions of the animal donations were later revealed. Smaller animals can be donated on weekdays with an upper limit of four at a time without requiring an appointment. Whereas, for horse donations, the zoo asks for proper documentation from owners, including their horse passport and a medical report ensuring the horse was not treated for an illness in the previous 30 days, per the BBC. After a successful handover, the horse owners shall receive a tax deduction for their contribution. 

“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,” said Pia Nielsen, the zoo’s deputy director. For the past many years, the zoo has fed these smaller animals to the carnivores under their supervision, and this initiative ensures the best possible way to continue that food supply, in its most natural form. 

You can follow @aalborgzoo on Instagram for more videos. 

If you’re grieving the loss of a companion animal, please reach out to Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline at 1‑607‑218‑7457