Sydney zoo asks people to name snake after ex-lovers
SYDNEY — An Australian zoo inviting people to name its venomous snake after their former lovers has gone viral on social media, according to a report in the Washington Post.
“Is your ex-lover a snake? If so, now is your opportunity to cement their ‘snaky status’ this Valentine’s Day by naming a brown snake after them at Wild Life Sydney Zoo!” the zoo posted on its Facebook page earlier this month.
The competition was launched all in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.
To enter, participants must fill out a form including the name of their ex-partner and detailing why they deserve to have a snake named after them. Entrants are also asked to make a A$1 donation to the Wild Life Conservation Fund. The winning name will be selected by the zoo’s reptile team and revealed today, Valentine’s Day, the Post reported.
“We hope that by providing someone unlucky in love the opportunity to name Wild Life Sydney Zoo’s very own brown snake after their ex, we can give them something else to celebrate on Valentine’s Day this year,” the zoo’s general manager Mark Connolly said.
On social media, many reacted to the zoo’s competition with delight, tagging their friends and vowing to submit the names of their ex or, in some cases, exes.
In a related event, The El Paso zoo in Texas took to Facebook earlier this month, inviting people to name a cockroach after an ex.
“Today, Valentine’s Day, the zoo will feed the newly named cockroaches to meerkats and other animals during a live stream,” the animal facility said.