BERLIN 

Citing a lack of space, the Nuremberg Zoo has fed the carcasses of 12 euthanized baboons to predators — including lions, tigers, and wolves — officials confirmed Monday.

The Tiergarten Nuremberg announced the plan due to overcrowding over a year ago. Though other zoos and facilities offered to house the baboons, the zoo said no agreement could be reached. The move triggered protest by animal rights groups and others.

Jorg Beckmann, the zoo’s deputy director, told local media that the primates' heads, hands, and feet were removed before their carcasses were used as food for the carnivores.

Six of the 12 baboons were fed to lions, tigers, wolves, and martens (a weasel-like mammal), Beckmann told German press agency DPA. Four were preserved as skeletons for museum collections, while two baboons who died during sedation were sent for autopsies to determine the cause of death.

The official claimed the feeding offered animal welfare benefits, asserting that carcasses with fur and bones improve predators' dental health. “This means that, unlike many pets, our animals do not need to have their tartar removed under general anesthesia.” he said, in defense of the controversial practice.

Animal rights groups have condemned the decision. More than a hundred complaints have been filed with prosecutors alleging illegal killing of the animals. Authorities are currently reviewing the complaints, a spokesperson told local media.

Animal Rebellion activists began setting up a protest camp near the zoo on Monday. The group plans to erect a large tent and hang a banner in the trees in the coming days. Several protests are also scheduled at the zoo entrance, according to the group.