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A zoo in Denmark has launched an unusual appeal, asking the public to donate their unwanted pets to help feed its predators. Aalborg Zoo is specifically looking for live chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs, which will be "gently euthanised" by trained personnel to ensure a humane process. Additionally, the facility is open to accepting live horses, allowing pet owners to benefit from potential tax deductions for their contributions.
The zoo explained in a recent Instagram post that it has a responsibility to reflect the natural food chain of its residing carnivores. Smaller livestock forms a critical part of the diet for predators such as lions, tigers, and especially the Eurasian lynx, whose eating habits are most closely aligned with the proposed donations.
To facilitate the donation process, pet owners can bring in small animals on weekdays, limited to a maximum of four at a time without prior appointments. Detailed specifications regarding horse donations are available on the zoo’s website, emphasizing the necessity for horse passports and a healthy medical history.
Pia Nielsen, the deputy director of the zoo, commented that feeding smaller livestock to carnivores has been a long-standing practice at Aalborg Zoo. She highlighted the importance of providing a natural diet that includes meat with fur, bones, and other components typical of a wild predator's hunt.
Nielsen added, "Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanised for various reasons to be of use in this way." This approach is relatively common in Denmark, and many patrons and partners of the zoo value this opportunity to help sustain the animals they house.
A zoo in Denmark has launched an unusual appeal, asking the public to donate their unwanted pets to help feed its predators. Aalborg Zoo is specifically looking for live chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs, which will be "gently euthanised" by trained personnel to ensure a humane process. Additionally, the facility is open to accepting live horses, allowing pet owners to benefit from potential tax deductions for their contributions.
The zoo explained in a recent Instagram post that it has a responsibility to reflect the natural food chain of its residing carnivores. Smaller livestock forms a critical part of the diet for predators such as lions, tigers, and especially the Eurasian lynx, whose eating habits are most closely aligned with the proposed donations.
To facilitate the donation process, pet owners can bring in small animals on weekdays, limited to a maximum of four at a time without prior appointments. Detailed specifications regarding horse donations are available on the zoo’s website, emphasizing the necessity for horse passports and a healthy medical history.
Pia Nielsen, the deputy director of the zoo, commented that feeding smaller livestock to carnivores has been a long-standing practice at Aalborg Zoo. She highlighted the importance of providing a natural diet that includes meat with fur, bones, and other components typical of a wild predator's hunt.
Nielsen added, "Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanised for various reasons to be of use in this way." This approach is relatively common in Denmark, and many patrons and partners of the zoo value this opportunity to help sustain the animals they house.
