(LONDON) — A Denmark zoo is asking the public to donate their pets — particularly chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs — so that they can feed them to the zoo’s predators.
“In zoos we have a responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals — in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity,” the Aalborg Zoo said in a statement last Thursday.
The request created a backlash online with many disagreeing with the practice, but the zoo said the purpose of the program is to make sure “nothing goes to waste — and [to] ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators,” according to the zoo’s website.
The zoo also said they would accept larger animals, such as horses, which they euthanize and slaughter for food, though they said that the zoo’s needs vary throughout the year and there might be a waiting list.
For horses, Aalborg Zoo receives the horse as a donation and the owner of the horse can obtain a tax deduction for the value of the horse, according to the zoo’s website.
The zoo also said they will “accept chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., but no more than four at a time.”
ABC News has reached out to Aalborg Zoo for comment.
The practice is not unheard of in Denmark and, in 2014, the Copenhagen Zoo garnered attention on social media when it killed a healthy giraffe and fed it to their predators.
Four lions, including two cubs, were also euthanized several weeks later to make room for a new male lion in the Danish zoo. The lions were euthanized for not being able to defend themselves against him, zoo officials said at the time.
“If you have an animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us,” the zoo said. “The animals are gently euthanized by trained staff and are afterwards used as fodder.”
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