If you don’t want your pet anymore, eat it your lions

The Aalborg Zoo, in Northern Denmark, has launched an unusual and controversial call on their social networks: asks the owners of domestic animals to donate them as food for predators of the enclosure, such as European lynx, lions, tigers and African wild dogs.

The proposal, Posted on your Facebook pagehas generated an intense debate in both Denmark and internationally. Is it a practice consistent with nature? Or is it an unacceptable cost of pets?

What exactly ask for? The process is regulated and explained in detail in The Zoo’s own website. Anyone can donate up to four small animals – as rabbits, chickens or guinea pigs. In the case of horses, specific requirements are required: the animal must have a passport, not having received medication and going through a previous evaluation. It is also indicated that there could be waiting list, since the zoo needs vary during the year. Nowhere do they talk about dogs or cats.

In fact, they have nuanced that all animals are “soft” euthanized by trained personnel, and are then used as food. As they have clarified in the Facebook post: “In this way, nothing is wasted, and we ensure the natural behavior, nutrition and well -being of our predators.”

Is there no other method? As explained from the institution, the initiative seeks to recreate a food chain as close as possible to nature. The Zoo Deputy Director, Pia Nielsen, has declared The Guardian: “When raising carnivores, it is necessary to provide meat, preferably with hair, bones … to have a diet as natural as possible.”

The case of the European lynx is especially illustrative: this species requires entire dams, as similar as possible to those that would hunt. Therefore, the zoo justifies that this type of food favors its well -being, stimulates natural behaviors and prevents the use of processed or frozen meats. As has detailed in Euronews The scientific head of the zoo, Anette Sofie Warncke Nutzhorn: “We have always done it, and we see it as something very natural. We prefer this to bury animals and waste the meat.”

And an inevitable question. Is it legal to donate live animals to be used as food? The answer is yes, it is legal in Denmark under certain conditions. The 2013 Animal Welfare Law It requires that animals should be treated with respect, with adequate conditions of care and without suffering unnecessary pain. In this context, the sacrifice of animals donated to the zoo is allowed if it is ethically justified and carried out by professionals.

In addition, Denmark counts With a B rating in the animal protection index of World Animal Protectionwhich means that it has moderately strong legislation regarding the rights and well -being of animals. In contrast, in countries such as Spain or Germany this practice would be hardly socially accepted, although not always illegal, depending on the destination of the animal and the sacrifice process.

The controversy explodes. The Facebook publication caused an avalanche of reactions. Some users considered it a “sickly” proposal or a “terrible trend of indifference with animals.” However, others defended it firmly, arguing that it is better for animals to serve to feed others instead of being buried or discarded.

It should be noted that a user wrote sarcastically in the comments: “What if you have tired of some of your children these holidays?” To which the zoo responded with humor: “Your children are very welcome in the zoo, but not as food … here we only accept animals with feathers or skin”

On the other hand, some people shared their positive experiences. A woman, Signe Flyvholm, He has commented to New York Times who thought of donating her horse to the zoo: “She could make a difference being used as food.” However, due to its size, it ended up donating it to an organization that made it biofuel and fertilizer.

It is not the first time. As Euronews has pointed outrecalls the known case occurred in 2014, when the Copenhagen Zoological Euthanasio to a healthy giraffe called Marius, whose genetics was already overrepresented. The animal was then publicly dissected and fed to the lions. Shortly after, four lions were also sacrificed to avoid territorial conflicts.

Just a year ago, a zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, caused another scandal by sacrificing 12 healthy baboons for lack of space and feeding the lions, in front of the public. Activists protested even chaining the tickets.

Does the end justify the media? The case of the Aalborg Zoo opens a complex and urgent issue on the limits between animal welfare, ecological ethics and human sensitivity. Is it more respectful to allow a dead animal to feed another? Or is it an unjustifiable reification of domestic animals?

The practice may seem brutal in the eyes of many, but reflects a logic consistent with biology and wildlife management in captivity. Even so, it is not exempt from controversy, especially when what is put into play are pets, animals traditionally loved by people.

Be that as it may, the debate is open. And the Aalborg Zoo, voluntarily or involuntarily, has revealed a moral fracture that divides not only Denmark, but the entire world.

Image | Unspash and Unspash

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