Zoo Issues Shocking Call: Turn Your Unwanted Pets into Predator Prey—Here’s Why You Should Listen

Ever wondered what happens to those “oops” pets you never quite meant to keep? Well, Aalborg Zoo in Denmark decided to toss convention out the window and made a bold, eyebrow-raising request on social media: donate your unwanted rabbits, chickens, and guinea pigs to feed their predators. Yep, you read that right. Instead of quietly letting these little critters clog shelters or, even worse, end up abandoned, the zoo’s embracing a brutally honest approach to the food chain—feeding predators like the European lynx with actual whole prey. If that Christmas bunny you got is more trouble than joy, maybe it’s time to consider this… unconventional “re-home.” It’s the kind of real talk that makes you pause—and maybe rethink what’s on your plate. Curious how seriously they take this, or what rules go into handing over Dobbin for dinner? LEARN MORE.

A zoo in Denmark has made a rather unusual request after it asked people over social media whether they’d consider donating any unwanted pets that zookeepers could feed to the predators.

In the animal kingdom there are some meat eaters and the meat is going to have to come from somewhere, but you possibly didn’t expect that a zoo would just ask for unwanted pets to provide the supply.

However, that’s precisely what Aalborg Zoo in Denmark has done as they made it clear they’d be willing to take on the burden of those pets you might be thinking were a mistake.

It may be a somewhat unorthodox method of acquiring animals to feed the various predator species they keep at the zoo but it is fairly honest about what the creatures people queue up to see actually consume.

So if you’ve been thinking those rabbits you got for Christmas are actually more trouble than they’re worth, this might be the solution for you.

Would you fancy donating a rabbit or chicken to their meal? (HENNING BAGGER/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

Writing on Facebook, the zoo said: “Did you know that you can donate smaller pets to Aalborg Zoo?

“Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs make up an important part of the diet of our predators – especially in the European lynx, which needs whole prey, which is reminiscent of what it would naturally hunt in the wild.

“In zoos we have a responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals – in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity.

“If you have an animal that has to leave for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us.

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

If you hop into their website they’ll also tell you what kind of horse they accept as donation to become predator feed.

The idea of donating unwanted pets to the zoo for food hasn’t been popular with everyone (Peter Bischoff/Getty Images)

Apparently if you want to hand over Dobbin then the animal had better have a passport and have been healthy for the past 30 days, and it must measure at most 147cm at the withers.

The zoo’s social media post has received a somewhat mixed response, it’s safe to say.

Some people called it ‘a deeply perverse and degrading mindset that is behind this sick invention’ and argued that ‘feeding pets is absolutely unacceptable’.

Others questioned whether the social media post was a joke, but since they’ve got a whole bit of their website explaining how you donate animals as predator feed, it seems not to be.

However, there were people who defended it as a ‘good initiative’ and someone said they’d taken a horse to the zoo and praised the staff for the way they’d handled the situation.

Somebody did ask whether the zoo would accept children who’d been misbehaving on holiday, but the zoo said ‘children are very welcome at the Zoo… but not as food’, adding they ‘only accept animals with feathers or fur’.