A woman says she donated her daughter’s pony to Aalborg Zoo in Denmark to be “gently euthanized” and used as food for captive predators.

"We have a responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals — in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity," Aalborg Zoo says.

A zoo in northern Denmark is asking pet owners to donate their unwanted guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens and even small horses – not to put them on display but to feed them to the zoo’s predators.