Gara, a Siberian tiger, cares for her new child cubs on the Aalborg Zoo in Denmark in 2008.
Henning Bagger/AFP through Getty Pictures
cover caption
toggle caption
Henning Bagger/AFP through Getty Pictures
A European zoo stirred up intrigue and controversy after a social media put up asking for surplus pets to be donated to feed captive animals went viral.
In a put up on Fb, the Aalborg Zoo in Denmark requested folks to donate undesirable pets that may be “gently euthanized” and fed to predators in captivity.
“Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs type an necessary a part of the food plan of our predators – particularly the European lynx, which wants entire prey that resembles what it could naturally hunt within the wild,” the zoo wrote.
“In zoos we’ve a accountability to mimic the pure meals chain of the animals – when it comes to each animal welfare {and professional} integrity,” the put up continued. “That approach, nothing goes to waste – and we guarantee pure conduct, vitamin and well-being of our predators.”
The zoo additionally accepts horses as a part of its fodder program.
The Fb put up rapidly grew to become a battleground between commenters who have been appalled on the idea of euthanizing wholesome pets for animal feed, and those that applauded the zoo for its methodology of sustaining a sensible meals provide for its animals.
A lot of the umbrage directed towards the zoo appeared to stem from the usage of the phrase “pets” to seek advice from the animals, which referred to as to thoughts the picture of well-loved lapdogs being despatched alive right into a literal lions’ den.
“It is a joke proper,” one enraged commenter wrote. “Nobody would convey his wholesome pet to a zoo to allow them to kill it and feed it to their animals.”
“In Denmark, this observe is frequent”
The Aalborg Zoo says canines and cats are excluded from this system. Donatable animals are restricted to chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses, it says, including that this can be a observe it has maintained with patrons for years.
“When retaining carnivores, it’s vital to offer them with meat, ideally with fur, bones, and many others., to present them as pure a food plan as doable,” zoo Deputy Director Pia Nielsen stated in an announcement to NPR.
“Subsequently, it is sensible to permit animals that should be euthanized for numerous causes to be of use on this approach. In Denmark, this observe is frequent, and lots of of our company and companions recognize the chance to contribute,” Nielsen added.
What consultants say
Specialists say that it is vital for captive animals to be fed entire animal elements, together with fur, bones and organs, to take care of the form of consuming habits they’d exhibit within the wild.
Captive carnivores in america typically have their diets supplemented with commercially accessible meat merchandise, like chunk or mincemeat.
“The issue with simply feeding lions meat is that the offal (liver, coronary heart, and many others.) is way richer in numerous vitamins than muscle meat – wild lions solely begin consuming the muscle tissue after they’ve completed the offal,” Craig Packer, founder and director of the Lion Middle on the College of Minnesota, advised NPR in an e mail. “So feeding lions something in addition to horse and cow meat would most likely be a welcome change.”
The Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is an accreditation physique for conservation packages in america. It stated that its member zoos don’t make use of or endorse the solicitation of pets for meals.
However the Dietary Advisory Group to the AZA highlights the significance of predatory animals nonetheless getting access to massive and entire animal stays as a part of a balanced food plan.
“Feeding vertebrate animal carcasses to captive carnivores has been a administration instrument utilized by zoos in america for a few years,” the advisory group stated in an announcement.
“It encompasses all kinds of prey varieties/type of presentation, from entire physique to portion managed, and has the helpful results of stimulating exercise and enhancing regular feeding conduct,” it stated.
The distinction in American and European zoo practices has been highlighted earlier than, significantly within the case of Denmark.
In 2015, the nation’s Odense Zoo made worldwide headlines for its resolution to kill and publicly dissect a 9-month-old feminine lion in entrance of faculty kids, as a method to manage the ability’s lion inhabitants – a observe the zoo had been carrying on for many years.
A yr earlier than within the capital metropolis of Copenhagen, animal rights activists have been horrified to study {that a} wholesome two-year-old giraffe generally known as Marius had been euthanized and his stays fed to the zoo’s lions. The Copenhagen Zoo stated placing Marius down had been essential to keep away from inbreeding amongst its giraffe inhabitants.
