Trapped at home? People can adopt wildlife
Happi is an orphaned orangutan in Borneo who loves papaya and building nests with sticks. Dimples is a koala in Australia who lost her mother at a young age but found comfort in the arms of Chris Hemsworth. Batmann is a blind African penguin with oil-slicked feathers who is now living happily ever after with his partner, Penelope, in a South African sanctuary. Though these animals have different backgrounds — and taxonomy — they share a common trait: They are all available for symbolic adoption.
Sheltering in place has significantly shrunk wildlife-viewing opportunities. But people don’t need to travel to be part of the larger animal kingdom. Conservation and rescue groups around the world offer sponsorship programs for a variety of species that often serve as mascots of their home countries: lemurs in Madagascar, elephants in Zambia and coqui in Puerto Rico. Donation will help the organizations with their rescue, rehabilitation and release operations as well as support the critters unable to survive in the wild. Bonus: Many sanctuaries were open to the public before the pandemic, and you can possibly meet your adoptee (or its relative) once travel resumes.
“Symbolically adopting animals allows these projects to continue to protect wildlife without placing volunteers, staff or animals at risk,” said Meredith Whitney, an animal rescue program officer with the International Fund for Animal Welfare. “It’s everybody’s hope that the remote support now will mean that these organizations will still be around once travel is again safe and people can visit in person to learn about their good work.”
As an expression of their gratitude, the nonprofits will send a gift, such as a plush toy, photo of your newest family member and certificate of adoption. However, before you make room on the mantel for a framed image of your Vietnamese pangolin or Tasmanian devil, some research is required. You don’t want your funds ending up in the wrong pockets. Whitney said the organization should be a legitimate sanctuary and not involved in breeding, buying or selling wildlife. Its primary goal should be to return the animal to the wild when possible and provide a lifetime of care when it isn’t. The group should also back initiatives that tackle such threats as poaching and habitat loss.
For an extra layer of assurance, Whitney said the group should be accredited by or affiliated with an organization of high repute, such as the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, the World Wildlife Fundor Humane Society International.
Ecuador
AmaZOOnico, one of the biggest rescue centers in Ecuador, has several animals seeking adopters, including Polen, a young ocelot; Biala and Solana, a pair of scarlet macaws; and Poppy, a tapir. Adoptions range from $30 to $60 a month.
Guatemala
Why stop at one sea turtle when you can help raise an entire generation of olive ridley and leatherbacks?
Arcas Wildlife Protection created the Sponsor-a-Nest program to counter the perils (overfishing, egg snatching) to sea turtles on the Pacific coast of Guatemala.
When the price for eggs drops, usually during nesting season, staff members and volunteers will hit the beach and purchase the precious goods from collectors. The organization will bury the eggs at its hatcheries and, about two months later, bid the hatchlings adieu as they swim off to sea. A $25 donation covers a nest of about 100 eggs.
Puerto Rico
You might think reggaeton is the sound of Puerto Rico, but it isn’t: Coquis dominate the airwaves, especially from dusk to dawn, when the male tree frogs sing their “co-kee” love ballad. A $25 donation goes toward conservation efforts on the island.
Australia
The koalas with the Australian Koala Foundation are more than cute; they have distinctive personalities, too. To find your “one,” flip through the profiles of the joeys, adults, wild koalas and mom-and-baby duos, or take the quick matchmaking test.
Donors receive an open invitation to visit their koala in its habitat. (Park admission fees are extra). Participants must commit to a year of monthly payments — about $23 for single koalas and $38 for pairs. Friends of the Koala practices the three Rs (rescue, rehab and release) in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.