15 hours ago
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It’s the gift that keeps on hissing!
Zoos across the US are offering the perfect Valentine’s gift for scorned lovers — name a cockroach after your former flame.
This Valentine’s Day, several zoos are pitching the ultimate breakup gift to raise money for animal care and protection. But the hilarious program isn’t just for the jilted and embittered — both the happily married and unwed lovebirds are encouraged to jump in as well.
“Skip the chocolates! Love has six legs this year,” joked the Bronx Zoo on Facebook.
NYC’s iconic wildlife haven kicked off the “Name-A-Roach” fundraiser back in 2011. It caught on quickly and the idea was scooped up by other animal habitats, including the San Antonio Zoo in Texas, the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama, and the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
More than a dozen zoos have picked up the program, offering their own iterations.
For each donation — which can range from $5 to $70 depending on the zoo — supporters will receive a digital certificate that can be shared with the recipient or kept for yourself, with options for upgrades, including plush toys, beanies and even virtual encounters with your roach.
So far, the Wildlife Conservation Society — which oversees the Bronx Zoo and other Big Apple animal attractions, such as the New York City Aquarium — estimates a whopping 60,000 roaches have been named after former exes as well as loved ones and even pop culture celebs, adding up to roughly $1 million in donations in the 15 years since the program launched.
On Feb. 14, the zoos will unveil a naming wall board that displays the first names of the newly christened roaches.
And these aren’t just any roaches — they’re Madagascar hissing cockroaches: shiny, wingless and oval-shaped with a pair of antennae, and built like they can take a bad breakup. They grow up to four inches long and males sport a pair of impressively large horns.
And that famous hissing sound? That’s not attitude — it’s anatomy. The roaches force air through a pair of modified abdominal spiracles, which are breathing pores in an insect’s respiratory system. The result is a loud, unmistakable hiss that can signal annoyance, dominance — or passion.
They’re native to the island of Madagascar off the African coast and can be found in rotting logs, near litter and other compost and trash. They’re excellent climbers and can even scale smooth glass.
While the fundraisers are lighthearted fun for zoo-lovers across the nation, every donation goes toward the serious work of animal care, exhibits, educational programs, global conservation and species protection.
English (US)