Denmark zoo offers to take unwanted pets – and feed them to wild animals
A Danish zoo is sparking controversy by inviting people to donate their unwanted pets, such as chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs, to be used as food for its predators.
Image: File Picture
Let's get real, pet owners – we've all been there. Your adorable furball is driving you crazy, and you're wondering if there's a more ... unconventional solution.
The Aalborg Zoo in Denmark has an initiative that might just be the most ... creative (or crazy) idea you've heard: donating your pet to be predator food. But before you consider it, ask yourself: Are you just having a bad pet day, or is it time to rehome for real?
The Zoo is stirring up controversy with its latest initiative: inviting the public to donate their pet animals, like chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs, as food for its predators. Yes, you read that right – pet owners who can't care for their furry friends anymore can give them to the zoo, where they'll be humanely euthanised and served up as a meal for the zoo’s wildcats.
The zoo's reasoning? They want to mimic the natural food chain and provide their predators with a wholesome diet. "We're just trying to keep it real in the wild," they say.
The zoo in northern Denmark explained in a Facebook post that "if you have a healthy animal that needs to be given away for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us."But not everyone is buying it.
For pet owners keen to find out more about the scheme the zoo provides a web link, illustrated by a tiger about to tuck into a hunk of meat – that ex[plains its pet euthanasia scheme.
IOL's Xolile Mtembu reports that animal welfare advocates are up in arms, arguing that this practice exploits vulnerable pets and reinforces a culture of treating animals as mere resources.
The debate is heating up, with some people praising the zoo's honesty and others decrying the practice as a troubling ethical dilemma. One thing's for sure – this unconventional snack plan has sparked a deep conversation about how we view the lives of our pets and the animals in our care.
On the menu are chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs for the European lynx; even horses are on the table (delivered alive, killed by a zookeeper and vet, and then slaughtered).
Love it or hate it, Aalborg Zoo's initiative has certainly got people talking.