Give Gifts that Preserve the Animal Kingdom
Bestow Presents that Delight the Receiver and Enrich the World
Dec 8, 2008
They say it is better to give than to receive. That is especially true this holiday when global warming and a dour economy dominate the news headlines. Whether bestowing gifts or anticipating receiving them, animal lovers the world over will delight in helping out furry friends.
With a catalog full of options, the WWF offers animal lovers the opportunity to save wildlife through the ‘WWF Gift Catalog’. Separated by continent, one can page through the catalog and easily find the animal they feel most dedicated to saving, and donate. By donating in someone’s name in the amount of $50 or more, the return gift is a too-cute-and-cuddly-to-resist stuffed animal. The plush toys represent the ‘adoption’ of one in the wild. And, whether it is a Blue-Footed Booby in the Galapagos, an Okapi in Africa or an amber-eyed Lemur from Madagascar, every donation is an step gained in the march against extinction.
A sanctuary for chimpanzees, Chimp Haven is a nonprofit orphanage for the chimps that have been abandoned when they no longer proved no longer useful to the entertainment industry or those who thought that chimps would make good pets. Located just south of Shreveport, Louisiana, donations to the organization not only help to rescue chimps in volatile, detrimental situations, but provide food, water and wide open spaces for the likes of such chimps as Suzanna, Betsy, Hamlet and Queenie.
On the eve of celebrating its 150th anniversary, as the first zoo in the United States, the Philadelphia Zoo, (Philly Zoo), deserves its due. Opened in 1874 and set the standard of trying to preserve animal life in captivity, the last resort, in the face of humankind’s eradication of natural habitats. In 1995, however, the zoo was delivered a devastating blow when a fire swept through the World of Primates building in the early dawn on December 24th. With six lowland gorillas, three orangutans, four white-handed gibbons, and ten lemurs among the list of the deceased, the City of Brotherly Love had a solemn Christmas that year.
To help bring the kingdom of man and animal together, the zoo has an adoption program where anyone can adopt an Amur Leopard, Caribbean Flamingo or Red Panda to help with the animal preservation.
For as little as $50, anyone adopting an animal receives a personalized certificate, a photo of the animal as well as a fact sheet, and an invitation to attend ADOPT Day. Held the first Saturday every October, ADOPT Day is a behind-the-scenes experience that includes tutorials with zoo keepers, lessons about animal feedings and a cake ceremony.
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