"Take these big cats back to the wild" - Internet reacts as a Denmark zoo asks people to donate their pets as fodder for its captive predators

A Denmark zoo made headlines after a viral social media post from a few days ago asked people to donate their pets to feed the zoo’s predatory animals. The post says:

“Did you know that you can donate smaller pets to Aalborg Zoo? Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators.”

The zoo asked for donations of these animals if they were planning to remove them. Some of the predatory animals at the zoo include lions, Sumatran tigers, and others. Meanwhile, social media users did not seem too pleased with this idea. One X user responded:

“They should take these big cats back to the wild.”

Netizens appeared outraged at Denmark Zoo’s idea, as many called it disturbing.

“This is so horrific, I thought Denmark was nice!” a social media user commented.

“This is deeply disturbing. Pets aren’t disposable. There should be better systems in place for rehoming, not feeding them to zoo animals,” a netizen wrote.

“animals gotta eat but that's a bit messed up ngl,” an internet user claimed.

A few social media users thought this idea by Denmark zoo was balanced, calling it “the circle of life.”

“Brutality or Nature?” another X user asked.

“Predators need to eat too. They don't care what kind of meat they're fed. As long as the prey isn't live fed, I don't see why anyone would oppose,” an online commentator shared.

“I don't necessarily think it's a great idea, but I also don't have a problem with it. Circle of life will circle,” a netizen reacted.

Per the post, the pets will be euthanized before being fed to the animals at the Denmark zoo

According to CBS Mornings, pets will be gently euthanized before being fed to the animals at Denmark's zoo. The pets can be donated anytime between 10 am and 1 pm. However, they won’t accept more than four animals at a time. Aalborg Zoo’s post mentioned:

“The animals are gently euthanized by trained staff and are afterwards used as fodder. That way, nothing goes to waste, and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being for our predators.”

The report mentioned that, besides smaller animals, the zoo is also requesting horses. There will be specific size parameters to consider. The zoo noted:

“Our needs vary throughout the year, and there may be a waiting list.”

The zoo had to turn off comments on its Instagram post. They stated they turned off comments because people were reacting strongly to the content. They mentioned they understood the topic stirred up a lot of emotions and curiosity, but they didn’t want any hateful or mean messages. Instead, they asked everyone to remain respectful and noted that they were open to answering questions via direct messages or email.

Almost a decade ago, a Copenhagen Zoo euthanized a giraffe to prevent inbreeding. The decision was made despite opposition. After the giraffe’s death, a post-mortem was performed, and its body parts were fed to the lions.

Also read: Who is Marko Monroe? All about the designer who created Lady Gaga's custom-made Labubu styled after her Mayhem Ball tour.

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