據報道，一些瑞士動物園接受被主人拋棄的寵物，由獸醫將其殺死后直接投喂給園內老虎、獅子等肉食動物。這些寵物包括兔子、天竺鼠等。據蘇黎世動物園管理人員介紹，這種事情每年都會發生6次左右，一些絕望的主人甚至會將寵物偷偷放進園內場館中，任其自生自滅。

Swiss zoos are reportedly accepting unwanted pets which are killed and then fed to large carnivores such as tigers.
據報道，瑞士動物園接受被拋棄的寵物，將它們殺死后投喂給老虎等大型食肉動物。

At the Zurich Zoo, rabbits, guinea pigs and rats are given to the carnivores to eat, according to Swiss local media.
據瑞士當地媒體報道，蘇黎世動物園將兔子、天竺鼠、老鼠當做肉食動物的口糧。

Zoo director Alex Ruebel, who revealed this happens around six times a year, said: 'The guinea pigs or rabbits are killed by a veterinarian, then fed to the tigers, lions and snow leopards.'
動物園園長艾利克斯?魯培爾透露，這種事情每年都會發生6次左右，“先由獸醫將豚鼠或兔子殺死，然后喂給老虎、獅子或雪豹”。

The zoo director also said that mice are given to the zoo's owls. Other animals such as dogs are however denied by the zoo.
魯培爾還表示，動物園會把老鼠喂給貓頭鷹，但拒絕狗狗等其他動物。

According to Ruebel, the pets are not cut up into pieces but are fed in their entirety to the zoo's carnivores.
據魯培爾介紹，這些寵物不會被切碎，而是整只投喂給園內的肉食動物。

He said: 'The reason for this is that we want to show what is natural. And carnivores eat meat together with the entrails.'
他說：“因為我們想按照自然的方式去做這件事，肉食動物們會將肉和內臟一起吃下?！?/p>

Ruebel said that some desperate pet owners even smuggle their pet inside the zoo where they release them inside an indoor rain forest.
魯培爾稱，一些絕望的寵物主人甚至會將他們的寵物偷偷帶進園內，將它們放進室內熱帶雨林中。

The Daehlhoelzli animal park in the Swiss capital of Bern also receives inquiries from visitors who want to get rid of their pets.
瑞士首都伯爾尼的伯爾尼國家動物園也收到過想要拋棄自己寵物的主人的咨詢。

Zookeeper Marc Rosset said: 'We speak of one to five animals per week, which become food.'
動物園管理員馬克?羅賽特稱：“我們每周會收到1到5只淪為食物的動物?！?/p>

According to Rosset, these are also mostly smaller rodents or mammals such as mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits.
據羅賽特稱，這些動物大多是小型嚙齒類動物或哺乳動物，如小鼠、大鼠、天竺鼠和兔子。

However, not all Swiss zoos accept pets.
然而，并不是所有的瑞士動物園都接受寵物。

Spokesman Valentin Kressler of the Basel Zoo said: 'We do not accept such animals, as we do not know their health status.'
巴塞爾動物園的發言人瓦倫汀?克勒斯來爾稱：“我們不接受這樣的動物，因為我們不清楚其健康狀況。”

Swiss animal protection NGOs are shocked by the number of pets being offered to zoos.
動物園接受寵物的數量讓瑞士民間動物保護組織感到震驚。

Helen Sandmeier of Swiss Animal Protection said: 'It is not possible that one accepts the death of their pet.'
瑞士動物保護組織的海倫?桑德梅爾表示：“一個人不可能讓自己的寵物去死?！?/p>

Sandmeier said that when buying a pet, you automatically take on the responsibility of caring for the animal, which includes giving it a good new place when someone can no longer take care of it.
桑德梅爾稱，當你購買寵物時，就自動承擔起照顧它的責任，這其中就包括當你不能再照料它時，再給它找一個舒適的新家。

Antoine Goetschel, founder of Global Animal Law, also blasted the 'predominant throwaway mentality' of many pet owners.
《全球動物法》奠基人安東尼?哥切爾也炮轟許多寵物主人“不負責任的心態”。

However, both Goetschel and Sandmeier showed some understanding for the zoos.
然而，哥切爾和桑德梅爾都對動物園的做法表示理解。

Goetschel said: 'If they would openly offer the acceptance of pets, they would become a shelter for unwanted pets.'
哥切爾稱：“如果動物園公開接受寵物，它們就會成為被遺棄寵物的收容所?！?/p>

英文來源：每日郵報
翻譯&編輯：董靜
審校：丹妮