Aalborg Zoo in Denmark has asked for donations of unwanted pets, such as live chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs, and even horses − which it says are “gently euthanised” by trained staff – to feed to its predators.
In an Instagram post, the zoo says it has a “responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals”, and that smaller livestock “make up an important part of the diet of our predators”.
The BBC reports that the zoo says the food provided in this way is “reminiscent of what it would naturally hunt in the wild”.
This was especially true for the Eurasian lynx. Other predators being kept at the zoo include lions and tigers.
[Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/49242756096]