- 44-year-old Danish woman donated her pony to Aalborg Zoo to be euthanised and fed to lions
- Aalborg Zoo requested small, healthy pets for euthanasia and feeding to captive predators
- Zoo aims to mimic natural food chain for predators, citing welfare and professional integrity
A 44-year-old Danish woman revealed that she once decided to donate her daughter's 22-year-old pony to Aalborg Zoo to be euthanised and fed to lions due to the pet's severe eczema and excruciating pain. Her comments came amid recent backlash against Aalborg Zoo after it asked people to donate small and healthy pets to be used as food for captive predators.
The woman, named Pernille Sohl, told The Times that in 2020, she decided that Chicago 57, a German riding pony, had to be put down.
While speaking to the outlet, she said she understood how the decision may sound "very dramatic and bizarre". However, the animals being sent to the zoo were "going to be put down anyway".
"But they are going to be put down anyway, and it is not like they are alive when they are given to the predators," Sohl added.
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Sohl told the outlet that she runs a small farm in Assens, Denmark. Children with mental health issues visit the farm and spend time with horses.
Aalborg Zoo says it imitates the natural food chain for its predators, citing animal welfare and professional integrity. Donors receive a tax deduction of DKK100 (£11.60) for small animals and DKK5 (58p) per kilogram for larger animals like horses.
So far this year, the zoo has received 22 horses, 53 chickens, 137 rabbits, and 18 guinea pigs as donations.
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Although Sohl did not receive any payment from Aalborg Zoo, she would get a tax rebate. Another woman, Helen Hjortholm Andersen, donated her Shetland pony, Paprika, to Jyllands Park Zoo due to high costs associated with removing a dead animal. She supports the idea of pets benefiting other animals.
Aalborg Zoo's Appeal
Recently, the zoo asked for "unwanted animals" such as chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs. They said that the pet animals would be "gently euthanized" and then fed to carnivores.
"Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators - especially the European lynx, which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild," the zoo wrote.
"In zoos, we have a responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals - in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity," the post continued. "That way, nothing goes to waste - and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators."
