A zoo in Denmark has gained international attention for suggesting that guests and visitors can donate small animals to feed its predators.
Aalborg Zoo is located near the center of Aalborg and made the unusual announcement on Facebook. A translated version of their post explains that chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs form an important part of their predators‘ diets. “Especially the European lynx, which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild.”
The Zoo then explains its responsibilities to its predators. The post clarifies that their food source should “mimic the animals’ natural food chain.” This is done for the benefit of the creatures and “professional integrity.” Aalborg Zoo then reveals its donation program. “If you have an animal that needs to be removed from here for various reasons, you are welcome to donate it to us,” the zoo explains. “The animals are gently euthanized by trained staff and then used as food.”
The post concludes, “This way, nothing goes to waste, and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition, and well-being of our predators.”
Aalborg Zoo Has Since Locked Down The Comments Section
The post gained attention worldwide, with mixed responses from people who don’t think the request is a big deal and disgusted pet owners. One reply with hundreds of likes reads, “Imagine giving away your pet/animal as food, it can hardly be more disrespectful and undignified than that.” Another asks, “How sick are you to think of something like that?”
One takes a less severe approach and asks if the offer extends to children. Aalborg Zoo responded that kids aren’t allowed on the menu. “Here we only accept animals with feathers or fur 😉,” they said.
The establishment also revealed that it takes horse donations on its website.
The comments section quickly became heated, prompting the zoo to turn off replies. They signed off with an update. “After much international interest, we have chosen to close the comments section on this post,” the translated post reads. “We understand that the post arouses emotions and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is not necessary.” The zoo pledges to answer inquiries via email.
In response, many commenters have decided to reply to the zoo’s other posts instead.