Whether it’s an annoying ex, an annoying boss, or a nosy family member, there’s someone in everyone’s life that they absolutely hate. Now a zoo in Canada is offering people a chance to be petty and express their feelings in an unusual way. With Valentine’s Day approaching, Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy has launched a new name-a-roach campaign that gives people the chance to name a cockroach in someone’s honor.
For a minimum donation of $25 (Rs 1507), you can name a cockroach at the zoo after someone who is bothering you. In a tweet, the company announced the campaign, writing: ”Roses are red; violets are blue… Is someone in your life bothering you? Give them goosebumps by naming a cockroach after them this Valentine’s Day.”
See the tweet here:
Roses are red; violets are blue… Is someone in your life bothering you? Give them goosebumps by naming a cockroach after them this Valentine’s Day ❤️
For more information or to symbolically mention a cockroach: https://t.co/maFh8siDB5 🪳 pic.twitter.com/ZdB8EfUSjD
— Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy (@TZWConservancy) January 15, 2023
To name a cockroach, people can go online and select “Dedicate your donation,” select “In honor of,” and fill in the blank to provide a name of their choice. Post that, they’ll receive a digital certificate with the cockroach’s name, a shareable digital image, and a charity tax receipt.
However, the Toronto Zoo said there are limits to naming and hate speech and profanity will not be tolerated.
“The naming options aren’t limited to exes — you can name a cockroach after your boss, ex-boyfriend, relative, or anyone else who ‘overheard’ you,” Kelsey Godel, Donor Stewardship and Engagement Coordinator for the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy told CTV News Toronto Monday.
On their website, the zoo added a disclaimer that read: ”The Toronto Zoo and the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy respect all creatures – great and small. Cockroaches play a very integral ecological role in their rainforest homes by helping to decompose forest detritus and animal feces and in turn are food for many other animals. Despite their chilling reputation, cockroaches undeniably play a vital role in the sustainability of plant and animal habitats.”
Meanwhile, the zoo’s campaign has received mixed reactions from the public, with some finding it amusing while others calling it insensitive. One user wrote: ”Nice idea in theory, but the e-card is dirty. I like the Toronto Zoo, but not this one. It just seems unnecessarily cruel.” Another called it “a brilliant campaign,” while a third said: “There’s nothing about this I don’t love. Well played!!”
A fourth said: ”Big fan of this kind of campaign. Even though it’s been a long time since I was dumped by my ex-girlfriend around Valentine’s Day, this is top-notch gold. Perfection….”
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