By Gayne C. Young
Would you feed your cat to a lion? Toss your dog before a leopard? Or how about chuck your guinea pigs into a tiger pit only to watch as they’re tossed around like some macabre Hacky Sacks from hell before being ripped to shreds and consumed in a feeding frenzy.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I think most of us would actually pay to see that last one.
Wait. You wouldn’t? I guess I have issues.
All of the aforementioned is — more or less — being asked of persons in Denmark by the Aalborg Zoo in an effort to better care for their predators. The zoo explained in an Instagram post that it has a responsibility to mimic their animal’s natural food chain. Therefore, “If you have a healthy animal that needs to be euthanized for various reasons, you are welcome to donate it to us. The animals are gently euthanized by trained staff and then used as food. That way, nothing goes to waste — and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators.”
Gently Euthanized Pet Food
Further information about the donations of pets details how the zoo is mainly seeking chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses. Pernille Sol made the news this week when she donated one of the latter to the zoo. Her daughter’s German riding horse, Chicago 57, was 22 years old and suffering from a number of ailments. Pol said zookeepers treated the horse with respect in its final moments…then fed it to lions.
Responding to this outcry (and there was a lot of such on social media), Aalborg Zoo’s Deputy Director Pia Nielsen explained in a statement, “When keeping carnivores, it is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones, etc., to give them as natural a diet as possible. Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanized 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.”
Marcus Clauss, the co-director of the Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife at the University of Zurich, told The Guardian he agrees with the practice. “If you accept the fact that you have carnivores in human care, either as a pet or as a zoo, you will agree to the fact that you feed them animal matter. Basically there is no other choice. And then the logical next step is the question, where do you source that animal product from?”
Clifford Warwick, a UK-based consultant biologist and medical scientist, disagrees. He told The Guardian, “To me this was so far beyond the pale. The entire thing is bizarre and wrong. And there’s no validity to their claim of needing to give animals a natural diet this way. Lynx don’t eat guinea pigs. Where do they get guinea pigs from? Lynx would eat almost any small mammal, sure, but they can’t turn around and say that’s a natural behavior.”
Meat Sack Snacks
So, where do I stand on this issue? I’m glad you asked.
I have no issue with zoos feeding dead domesticated animals to their predators. As disturbing as it may be for some to comprehend, in the end those dead animals are nothing more than meat. Yes, they may have provided their owners a great deal of joy and companionships in life, but death — unfortunately — brings about a change in that relationship. I say let those animals serve their next purpose ,which is that of food for another animal. I don’t see this as harsh. I see it as part of life. And isn’t the circle of life one things zoos are supposed to be teaching the public?
What do you think? Do you disagree with my take? Or think I’m on the right side of this issue? Please shoot me your thoughts.
NOTE: Please do not reach out to me if you keep guinea pigs as pets. I don’t want to hear from you.
