A zoo in Denmark requested patrons to donate their pets. Not as sights, however for meals : NPR

Gara, a Siberian tiger, cares for her new child cubs on the Aalborg Zoo in Denmark in 2008.

Henning Bagger/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Henning Bagger/AFP through Getty Photographs

A European zoo stirred up intrigue and controversy after a social media submit asking for surplus pets to be donated to feed captive animals went viral.

In a submit on Fb, the Aalborg Zoo in Denmark requested folks to donate undesirable pets that will be “gently euthanized” and fed to predators in captivity.

“Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs kind an necessary a part of the food regimen of our predators – particularly the European lynx, which wants complete prey that resembles what it could naturally hunt within the wild,” the zoo wrote.

“In zoos we now have a accountability to mimic the pure meals chain of the animals – by way of each animal welfare {and professional} integrity,” the submit continued. “That manner, nothing goes to waste – and we guarantee pure habits, vitamin and well-being of our predators.”

The zoo additionally accepts horses as a part of its fodder program.

The Fb submit shortly grew to become a battleground between commenters who have been appalled on the idea of euthanizing wholesome pets for animal feed, and people who applauded the zoo for its technique of sustaining a sensible meals provide for its animals.

A lot of the umbrage directed towards the zoo appeared to stem from the usage of the phrase “pets” to consult with the animals, which known as to thoughts the picture of well-loved lapdogs being despatched alive right into a literal lions’ den.

“This can be a joke proper,” one enraged commenter wrote. “Nobody would convey his wholesome pet to a zoo to allow them to kill it and feed it to their animals.”

“In Denmark, this observe is frequent”

The Aalborg Zoo says canines and cats are excluded from this system. Donatable animals are restricted to chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses, it says, including that it is a observe it has maintained with patrons for years.

“When protecting carnivores, it’s crucial to offer them with meat, ideally with fur, bones, and so forth., to present them as pure a food regimen as attainable,” zoo Deputy Director Pia Nielsen mentioned in a press release to NPR.

“Due to this fact, it is smart to permit animals that have to be euthanized for varied causes to be of use on this manner. In Denmark, this observe is frequent, and plenty of of our company and companions admire the chance to contribute,” Nielsen added.

What consultants say

Consultants say that it is necessary for captive animals to be fed complete animal components, together with fur, bones and organs, to keep up the type of consuming habits they might exhibit within the wild.

Captive carnivores in america typically have their diets supplemented with commercially accessible meat merchandise, like chunk or mincemeat.

“The issue with simply feeding lions meat is that the offal (liver, coronary heart, and so forth.) is way richer in varied vitamins than muscle meat – wild lions solely begin consuming the muscle tissue after they’ve completed the offal,” Craig Packer, founder and director of the Lion Heart on the College of Minnesota, advised NPR in an e-mail. “So feeding lions something in addition to horse and cow meat would in all probability be a welcome change.”

The Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is an accreditation physique for conservation packages in america. It mentioned that its member zoos don’t make use of or endorse the solicitation of pets for meals.

However the Dietary Advisory Group to the AZA highlights the significance of predatory animals nonetheless accessing massive and complete animal stays as a part of a balanced food regimen.

“Feeding vertebrate animal carcasses to captive carnivores has been a administration software utilized by zoos in america for a few years,” the advisory group mentioned in a press release.

“It encompasses all kinds of prey sorts/type of presentation, from complete physique to portion managed, and has the useful results of stimulating exercise and bettering regular feeding habits,” it mentioned.

The distinction in American and European zoo practices has been highlighted earlier than, notably within the case of Denmark.

In 2015, the nation’s Odense Zoo made worldwide headlines for its resolution to kill and publicly dissect a 9-month-old feminine lion in entrance of college youngsters, as a method to manage the ability’s lion inhabitants – a observe the zoo had been carrying on for many years.

A 12 months earlier than within the capital metropolis of Copenhagen, animal rights activists have been horrified to study {that a} wholesome two-year-old giraffe generally known as Marius had been euthanized and his stays fed to the zoo’s lions. The Copenhagen Zoo mentioned placing Marius down had been essential to keep away from inbreeding amongst its giraffe inhabitants.