cute pets in zoos

[bluerunningshoes]

was in a zoo today.

petting area: pigmy goats, bunnies, guinny pigs...

a guy told the dc that those are being bred for food for some animals.

is that true?
that would be ingenious and shocking at the same time

any zoo keepers around?
:o

Reading this, I feel so naive!
I never knew

I think he was very likely yanking your chain ... cute cuddly animals in petting zoos are for petting only! Chicks, mice etc may be reared backstage to be fed to snakes etc (killed first, not just dropped in the tank) but large animals are fed carcasses from the abattoir

Not sure! I know that often the unwanted Dartmoor ponies are fed to the big cats at Dartmoor and Paignton zoo. Makes sense.
I would imagine that the snakes and watnot are fed frozen male chicks, which are wastage from the egg industry.
TBH honest I can’t think of any animals that eat guinea pigs and pigmy goats.
Also in zoos the rabbits are usually posh ones, like angora or a special Rex thingy. Which have a price tag attached. The countryside is over run with wild rabbits so it would surely be cheaper to feed those. I always see wild rabbits in kangaroo or zebra enclosures etc at zoos or wildlife parks.

Not a zookeeper btw but have seen this on behind the scenes documentaries

They may under certain circumstances feed animals which have died from natural causes to their large carnivores but no reputable zoo would rea petting animals for this purpose

was not sure if he was pulling my legs but there were lots of kids and very visible pregnant goats I wonder where all of them end? surely they can't keep breeding? zoo would be goat only space soon.