Zoo Calls For Unwanted Pets To Feed Its Animals

Predators astatine a zoo successful Denmark could soon beryllium feasting connected caller donations from nan nationalist — their pets.

Aalborg Zoo, which sits connected nan outskirts of nan metropolis of nan aforesaid sanction successful nan Scandinavian country’s northwest, put retired a telephone Thursday for unwanted animals connected its societal media channels.

Donated pets will beryllium “gently euthanized” by trained unit and past utilized arsenic “fodder” to return attraction of nan well-being of predators, it said, alongside a photograph showing a lynx baring its teeth.

Chicken, rabbits and guinea pigs would beryllium invited arsenic nutrient for its meat-eaters, nan station said.

The station echoed a akin entreaty that appeared connected nan zoo's website earlier this year, which besides called for horses to beryllium donated truthful agelong arsenic they were nary taller than 4 feet 10 inches, patient and not treated for unwellness successful nan past 30 days.

Horse owners tin get a taxation conclusion for nan worth of nan animal, it said.

Zoos person a “responsibility to imitate nan earthy nutrient chain” for carnivores that request full prey for a hunting acquisition akin to that successful nan wild, nan station said.

“If you person a patient animal that has to time off present for various reasons, consciousness free to donate it to us,” it added. “We guarantee earthy behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators.”

The station quickly sparked online statement drafting disapproval from immoderate quarters.

“The thought that a zoo, of each places, is encouraging group to driblet disconnected their animals to beryllium killed and fed to lions and tigers is, to me, incredibly disturbing,” 1 personification wrote connected Facebook.

Multiple telephone calls to nan zoo from NBC News went unanswered, but successful an update to its original station Tuesday, nan zoo said it had closed nan comments section.

“We understand that nan station arouses emotions and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is not basal — and we promote everyone to support a respectful tone,” nan zoo wrote.

It is not unheard of for animals to beryllium fed to predators aft they person died successful a zoo aliases culled from patient animal populations.

In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo successful Denmark's superior courted contention erstwhile it killed an 18-month-old giraffe called Marius with a bolt weapon and fed him to nan lions, saying nan animal was “unwanted.”

An online petition pinch thousands of signatures grounded to prevention him and nan zoo said astatine nan clip that Marius had been euthanized to debar inbreeding.