One big difference in the life of an animal at a zoo and an animal in the wild is that an animal at a zoo doesn’t have to hunt for food. Dangerous predators like lions and tigers are simply fed their meals. This goes against their natural instincts, but it would probably be controversial of zoos let predators hunt their prey and kill innocent animals in captivity.

Well, one zoo in Denmark called the Aalborg Zoo is trying to replicate the natural circle of life by feeding them pets donated by their owners. These donated animals do not include cats and dogs, but rabbits, guinea pigs, chicken, and even horses.

The animals at the zoo do not hunt the donated animals alive. Instead the donated pets are “gently euthanized” first.

One mom recently shared her story of donating her daughter’s horse to the Aalborg Zoo. Pernille Sohl told the Times UK that she donated her teenage daughter’s German riding pony, Chicago 57.

The horse was sick and was going to die anyway, so she thought it was more humane to donate the horse to the zoo than to simply take it to the vet. She explained, “It might sound very dramatic and bizarre that you would feed your pet to animals in the zoo,” she said. “But they are going to be put down anyway and it is not like they are alive when they are given to the predators.”

Chicago 57 was suffering from a form of eczema that led to irritation and even open wounds. He had to wear a coat and protection on his legs.

Sohl didn’t make the decision to donate the horse on her own. She let her 13-year-old daughter, Angelina, decide since it was her horse.  Sohl explained, “She had previously watched one of my horses being taken away by the vet to be euthanised, and it was a bad experience for her. She said that this time she wanted to follow the food chain. She wanted Chicago 57 to benefit other animals.”

The zoo has taken animal donations since it opened in 1935. Anette Sofie Warncke Nutzhorn, the chief zoologist, explained, “We have always done it, as long as the zoo has existed.”

On the zoo’s website, they explain, “Predators need whole prey — including fur, bones and organs — as it contributes to both enrichment, nutrition and wellbeing. By allowing necessary kills to become part of the food chain, we avoid waste and instead create a meaningful farewell where the animal can benefit both the predators in the garden and nature.”

Do you think it’s a good idea to donate pets that would be killed anyway to zoos to be used as food for predators?