The Reading / Listening - Zoo Pet Food - Level 4

A Danish zoo made an unusual request. It asked pet owners to donate unwanted pets, like guinea pigs, rabbits, and even horses. They will be food for the zoo's big cats and other predators. The zoo wants "to imitate the natural food chain of the animals". Using unwanted small creatures means "nothing goes to waste. The zoo added: "We ensure the natural behaviour, nutrition and well-being of our predators." It said all pets would be "gently euthanized".

The zoo said putting down animals for use as feed was common. It said: "Our…guests appreciate the opportunity to contribute." Regardless, there has been mixed reaction online. Some people felt sad. However, a man who donated his horse was satisfied with its treatment. He said his pet was put down peacefully. There is so much interest in donating that there are waiting lists for horses. Donors can get a tax deduction based on their animal's value.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Zoo Pet Food - Level 5 or  Zoo Pet Food - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/04/europe/denmark-aalborg-zoo-pets-predators-intl-hnk
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/04/danish-zoo-asks-pet-owners-to-donate-rabbits-and-horses-to-feed-its-predators
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/denmark-zoo-donate-small-pets-horses-feed-captive-predators/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A Danish zoo made
  2. pet
  3. donate
  4. guinea
  5. big cats and other
  6. imitate the natural food
  7. nothing goes to
  8. all pets would be gently
  1. chain
  2. unwanted pets
  3. euthanized
  4. predators
  5. waste
  6. an unusual request
  7. owners
  8. pigs

Paragraph 2

  1. putting down animals for
  2. Our guests appreciate the
  3. there has been mixed
  4. his pet was put
  5. There is so much interest
  6. waiting
  7. Donors can get a tax
  8. based on their animal's
  1. reaction online
  2. lists
  3. opportunity
  4. in donating
  5. value
  6. use as feed
  7. down peacefully
  8. deduction

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A Danish zoo made (1) ________________________________________________. It asked pet owners to (2) ________________________________________________, like guinea pigs, rabbits, and even horses. They will be food for the zoo's big cats (3) ______________________________________________. The zoo wants "to imitate the natural food chain of the animals". Using unwanted (4) _____________________________________________ "nothing goes to waste. The zoo added: "We ensure the natural behaviour, nutrition and well-being (5) ________________________________________________." It said all pets would (6) ________________________________________________.

The zoo said (7) ________________________________________________ for use as feed was common. It said: "Our...guests appreciate the opportunity to contribute." Regardless, there has been (8) ________________________________________________. Some people felt sad. However, a man (9) ________________________________________________ horse was satisfied (10) ________________________________________________. He said his pet was put down peacefully. There is so much interest in donating that there (11) ________________________________________________ for horses. Donors can get a (12) ________________________________________________ on their animal's value.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ADanishzoomadeanunusualrequest.Itaskedpetownerstodonateun
wantedpets,likeguineapigs,rabbits,andevenhorses.Theywillbefoodf
orthezoo'sbigcatsandotherpredators.Thezoowants"toimitatethenat
uralfoodchainoftheanimals".Usingunwantedsmallcreaturesmeans"
nothinggoestowaste.Thezooadded:"Weensurethenaturalbehaviour
,nutritionandwell-beingofourpredators."Itsaidallpetswouldbe"gen
tlyeuthanized".Thezoosaidputtingdownanimalsforuseasfeedwasco
mmon.Itsaid:"Our...guestsappreciatetheopportunitytocontribute."
Regardless,therehasbeenmixedreactiononline.Somepeoplefeltsad.
However,amanwhodonatedhishorsewassatisfiedwithitstreatment.
Hesaidhispetwasputdownpeacefully.Thereissomuchinterestindonat
ingthattherearewaitinglistsforhorses.Donorscangetataxdeductionb
asedontheiranimal'svalue.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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