Why not adopt a bat as a Christmas gift? That's a headline from The Herald, writing about Devon Wildlife Trust's adopt-a-species program. Besides the bats, you can also adopt a dolphin, a dormouse, or an otter.
Many animal-oriented organizations offer adopt-an-animal programs; I'm going to list just a few, to get you inspired. Please note I have not thoroughly researched the work done by each of these groups; you'll want to take a closer look at any group you decide to "adopt" from.
Australia Zoo will be our token representative of the many zoos that offer adoption programs. As you might expect, koalas and kangaroos and Tasmanian devils are among the animals listed.
Alternatively, you could support an aquarium - such as the Birch Aquarium - by adopting a fish. This one is a clown anemonefish.
Or you could support an aviary, such as Tracy Aviary, by adopting a bird. Some of the many choice are the golden eagle, scarlet ibis, and bald eagle shown above.
Best Friends Animal Society "operates the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country for abandoned, abused and neglected companion animals." Best Friends Gifts of Life and Love offers sponsorship of a wide range of animals.
Or how about this, from the Elizabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys? "A donkey-riding centre for children with special needs and disabilities in Sutton Park is launching an appeal for those looking for something a little different this Christmas. The Centre is inviting people to adopt a donkey as a gift for a friend or relative to help support its work." Actually, it's not just one centre offering the adoptions; it's five.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust encourages you to foster an orphaned elephant for Christmas. This one is named Lesanju.
The National Wildlife Federation has 38 different choices of wildlife available for adoption.
Watch out for what stuff comes with your adoption: a certificate, a poster, or whatever. Some programs even offer stuffed animals. WWF-UK has an adoption form which lets you say "I'd like you to keep the cuddly toy, to make my support go further." Such an option also lets you avoid creating too-many-stuffed-animals clutter.
2 comments:
Such a lovely idea! I love animals, and wouldn't be contributing to buying more junk.
Chaotic Kitten: Nice to see your name pop up in my comments!
I bet many of us know people who love animals, already have plenty of stuff - and would love a gift like this.
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