Aalborg Zoo in Denmark’s North Jutland region has issued an unusual public appeal on Facebook, asking owners of healthy and unwanted pets to donate them so the zoo can feed its predators, such as the Asiatic lion, the Sumatran tiger, and the European lynx.
A July 31 post appeals to anyone that owns “a healthy animal that needs to be given away for various reasons”.
The zoo added that the animals will be “gently euthanised” by trained personnel before being served as fodder to the zoo’s carnivores.
“That way, nothing goes to waste – and we ensure natural behaviour, nutrition, and well-being of our predators,” the post further explained.
Deputy Director of the zoo, Pia Nielson, claimed this is a common practice in the country.
“It is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones, etc., to give them as natural a diet as possible,” she said.
“This practice is common, and many of our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute. The livestock we receive as donations are chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses.”
Appeal sparks online debate
The appeal drew lively debate online, with some users protesting the idea of turning pets into prey and others praising the zoo’s initiative to maintain natural feeding behaviour.
Eventually, the zoo decided to close the post to comments.
“We understand that the post sparks feelings and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is unnecessary – and we urge you to maintain a positive attitude,” they noted.
Trine Lauridsen, a member of the public who has donated animals to the zoo in the past, including horses, said: “I think it’s a good thing, when you say goodbye to your animals, that it serves a good purpose.
“If they come to a slaughterhouse, where it really smells of death, that is something that few horses like.
“It’s nicer to go to a zoo; the animals are calm, maybe they get to grass and get an extra treat, and then it’s just over.”
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Euthanasia issue not new
It is not the first time that a zoo in Denmark has come under scrutiny for the way its animals are fed.
In 2024, the Copenhagen Zoo euthanised Marius, a healthy young giraffe, to avoid inbreeding despite a petition to stop the move.
The carcass was used partly for research and partly to feed carnivores.
Controversy flared again several weeks later when the same zoo euthanised four lions to make room for a new male in the hopes of breeding a new generation of cubs.
At the time, officials said the lions were euthanised for not being able to defend themselves against the new male.
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