Aalborg Zoo in Denmark sparked controversy this week by asking people to donate their pets so the park could “humanely euthanize them” and feed them to predators like lions and lynx. The zoo stated that its predator populations require whole prey as part of a healthy diet.
The zoo’s posts on social media quickly garnered comments from people concerned for the pets’ welfare, sparking a debate over ethical pet ownership and zoo operation.
The Donation Request
On July 30, the zoo posted on social media, saying it accepts people’s chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs for its predators, which “need whole prey.”
On Instagram, it wrote, “If you have a healthy animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us. The animals are gently euthanized by trained staff and are afterwards used as fodder” (originally in Dutch).
The zoo also had a preexisting policy for accepting horses as well. On its website, it states, “Aalborg Zoo gratefully accepts live horses, which we euthanize and slaughter for feed.” Owners can receive a tax deduction for this donation; the horse must be healthy and fit certain size requirements.
The Context
Of course, all zoos with predators like tigers, polar bears, and lions feed their animals meat from animals lower on the food chain. In the United States, most zoos source the meat for their predators from USDA-certified suppliers.
The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., states that “feeding portions of meat or whole (dead) prey is one of the ways keepers and nutritionists continually enrich animals’ lives; to support an animal’s physical, mental, and social health and to stimulate natural behaviors in the wild. Many animals at the Zoo receive whole prey in their diets.”
While not a widespread practice, it is not unheard of for zoos and other animal conservation organizations to accept donations from animal owners. The Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico, for example, accepts deceased livestock like chickens, rabbits, and goats, as well as livestock recommended for euthanasia, to feed its wolves.
However, in contrast to Aalborg Zoo, the wolf sanctuary explicitly states that “we cannot accept healthy animals who could still have a high quality of life,” according to its website.
The Internet Blowback
The organization’s social media quickly caught fire, with plenty of debate within the comments.
On Facebook, reactions ranged from jokes:
“What if you have gotten tired of some of your children this holiday?” asked Trine Hansen-Jensen (originally in Dutch)
… to sincere outrage:
“A deeply perverse and degrading mindset that is behind this sick invention, which has spread a terrible trend of indifference to animals in Denmark,” wrote Helge Jorgensen (originally in Dutch).
Negative comments centered on the welfare of pets and the moral implications of disposing of healthy, unwanted animals in this way.
In its original post, Aalborg Zoo stated that with this policy, “nothing goes to waste. We ensure natural behavior and the nutrition-well-being of our predators.”
The zoo ultimately closed the comments sections of the post across social media platforms. “We understand that the post awakens feelings and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is not necessary — and we urge you to preserve the good tone.”
Since closing the post for comments, the zoo has not provided any further public comment on the matter.
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