The Reading / Listening - Zoo Pet Food - Level 5

A Danish zoo has made an unusual request. It asked pet owners to donate unwanted pets, such as chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits, and even small horses. These will not be exhibited in the zoo. Instead, they will be food for the resident big cats and other predators. The zoo wants "to imitate the natural food chain of the animals". Using the unwanted small creatures as food means "nothing goes to waste. The zoo added: "We ensure the natural behaviour, nutrition and well-being of our predators." It assured owners that pets would be "gently euthanized" before becoming food.

The zoo said putting down animals for use as feed was common in Denmark. The zoo's deputy director said: "Our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute." Regardless, there has been mixed reaction on social media. Some people felt sad about the euthanasia scheme. However, a man who donated a horse was satisfied with its treatment. He said his pet was put down "in the most peaceful and calm way". There is so much interest in donating that there are waiting lists for horses. Donors can even get a tax deduction based on their animal's value.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Zoo Pet Food - Level 4 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 has made
  2. guinea
  3. These will not be exhibited
  4. food for the resident big
  5. imitate the natural food
  6. nothing goes
  7. well-being of our
  8. pets would be gently
  1. chain of the animals
  2. predators
  3. pigs
  4. euthanized
  5. cats
  6. in the zoo
  7. to waste
  8. an unusual request

Paragraph 2

  1. putting down animals for
  2. the zoo's deputy
  3. guests and partners appreciate
  4. there has been mixed reaction
  5. people felt sad about the
  6. He said his pet was put
  7. there are waiting
  8. Donors can even get a tax
  1. the opportunity
  2. lists for horses
  3. director
  4. euthanasia scheme
  5. deduction
  6. use as feed
  7. on social media
  8. down

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A Danish zoo has made (1) ________________________________________________. It asked pet owners to donate unwanted pets, such as chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits, and (2) ________________________________________________. These will not be exhibited in the zoo. Instead, they will be food for the resident big cats (3) ________________________________________________. The zoo wants "to imitate the natural (4) ________________________________________________ the animals". Using the unwanted small creatures as food means "nothing (5) ________________________________________________. The zoo added: "We ensure the natural behaviour, nutrition and well-being of our predators." It assured owners that pets would (6) ________________________________________________ before becoming food.

The zoo said putting down animals for (7) ________________________________________________ was common in Denmark. The zoo's deputy director said: "Our guests and partners appreciate the (8) ________________________________________________." Regardless, there has been mixed reaction on social media. Some people felt sad about (9) ________________________________________________. However, a man who donated a horse was satisfied (10) ________________________________________________. He said his pet was put down "in the most peaceful and calm way". There is so much interest in donating that there are (11) ________________________________________________ horses. Donors can even get a tax (12) ________________________________________________ their animal's value.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ADanishzoohasmadeanunusualrequest.Itaskedpetownerstodonate
unwantedpets,suchaschickens,guineapigs,rabbits,andevensmallho
rses.Thesewillnotbeexhibitedinthezoo.Instead,theywillbefoodforth
eresidentbigcatsandotherpredators.Thezoowants"toimitatethenatu
ralfoodchainoftheanimals".Usingtheunwantedsmallcreaturesasfoo
dmeans"nothinggoestowaste.Thezooadded:"Weensurethenaturalb
ehaviour,nutritionandwell-beingofourpredators."Itassuredownerst
hatpetswouldbe"gentlyeuthanized"beforebecomingfood.Thezoosai
dputtingdownanimalsforuseasfeedwascommoninDenmark.Thezoo'
sdeputydirectorsaid:"Ourguestsandpartnersappreciatetheopportun
itytocontribute."Regardless,therehasbeenmixedreactiononsocialm
edia.Somepeoplefeltsadabouttheeuthanasiascheme.However,ama
nwhodonatedahorsewassatisfiedwithitstreatment.Hesaidhispetwas
putdown"inthemostpeacefulandcalmway".Thereissomuchinterestin
donatingthattherearewaitinglistsforhorses.Donorscanevengetatax
deductionbasedontheiranimal'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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