This Zoo Accepts Pet Guinea Pigs to Feed Predators

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A zoo in Denmark is asking for donations of small, healthy but unwanted pets as food for its predators.

The Aalborg Zoo said it is trying to mimic the natural food chain of the animals housed there “for the sake of both animal welfare and professional integrity” and offers assurances the pets will be “gently euthanised” by trained staff.

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”.

The zoo points to live guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens as possible donations, saying such animals form “an important part of the diet of our predators”.

After being euthanised, the pets will be used as fodder to be eaten whole by the predators, the zoo said.

A yawning Eurasian lynx showing teeth and long canines in its open mouth.

The zoo said its Eurasian lynx “needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild”. Source: Getty / Arterra/Universal Images Group

“That way, nothing goes to waste — and we ensure natural behaviour, nutrition and well-being of our predators,” the zoo said. In particular, it cited the Eurasian lynx, “which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild”.

The online call for pet donations is accompanied by a picture of a lynx baring its teeth with its mouth wide open and a link to the zoo’s website.

The facility has also said it’s interested in receiving horses that have not been treated for illness in the past 30 days and have an eligible ‘horse passport’.

The zoo, which could not immediately be reached for additional details, does not list other pets or animals as possible donations.

Zoo official says request ‘makes sense’

The zoo’s Instagram page has received a flood of comments criticising its callout, and it has since removed the ability to comment on the original post.

Pia Nielsen, the zoo’s deputy director, has defended the request, saying the zoo had fed its carnivores with smaller livestock for many years. Nielsen said it was necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur and bones, in order to give the animals “as natural a diet as possible”.

“Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanised for various reasons to be of use in this way.

“In Denmark, this practice is common, and many of our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute.”