Don't Shop, Adopt!

The holiday shopping season is upon as, as I begrudgingly am forced to admit.  One thing that I find particularly daunting about shopping is that for many folks I know, there's a desire to not accumulate as much physical stuff.  We're in the Marie Kondo era, when a lot of people are looking to declutter.  Instead of more possessions (though to be fair, a lot of people DO like stuff), other options for gift-giving include purchasing memory-making experiences for folks, or charitable giving.

One of the classic hallmarks of zoo gift-giving for animals lovers is an animal adoption.  To be fair, many zoos no longer call them this, because it can lead to the impression that people actually get to take physical possession of the animal, like if they were adopting a dog or cat (I've heard of folks going to the zoo with crates, thinking they were going to pick up a meerkat or lemur).  In truth, the adoption money ostensibly goes to supporting the care of individuals of that species at the zoo.  I say "symbolically" because if 500 people "adopt" the tiger and no one adopts the black-footed cat, it's not like all of the money is solely going to go the tiger and the poor little black-foot starves to death.

An animal adoption is a great way to support the zoo in someone's honor, possibly while linking them to their favorite animal.  If there is a creature that you know that they are super fond of, the adoption shows that person that you were thinking of them and supporting something that they value.  You can take them to the zoo then and they'll see that animal and know that you were thinking of them.  Depending on the species, it may even be possible to couple the adoption with a private tour or encounter with the animal to make an even more memorable gift experience.

Adoptions are often accompanied with photos and certificates, which can make a nice keepsake.  In some cases, especially as part of promotions, there may also be a stuffed animal included.  Which is great for when you're giving an adoption to a small child.  They haven't necessarily reached the "don't want physical things" stage in life yet.