
Louisiana Exes Can Name Cockroaches for Each Other for Valentine’s Day
Louisiana residents love to celebrate Valentine's Day, and what better way to tell that used-to-be special someone you really don't care about them than naming a hissing cockroach from the Bronx Zoo after them? There are plenty of opportunities and choices.
Whether you want to name a cockroach for someone you hate or love, you must appreciate the Bronx Zoo's marketing; as they point out, "roaches are forever."
The Bronx Zoo isn't the only zoo offering these loving gifts for Valentine's Day. San Antonio's Zoo offers the "Cry Me a Cockroach" fundraiser. You can symbolically name a cockroach, rodent, or veggie that gets fed to one of the animals at the zoo. Yummy! Here's what they sound like:
Not to be outdone by these others, the Zoo Boise in Idaho also offers a "sweet" Valentine's Day promotion where you can name a cockroach. Brookfield Zoo Chicago is also in this game of naming cockroaches. They, like the other zoos, let you name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after the "un-special" someone!
Who Can Name a Cockroach After Someone?
You must be at 18-years-old to purchase the naming rights to a cockroach. Each naming option has a fee; what is available depends on which zoo you donate to.
The cost varies between $10 and $20 for a standard naming package and upwards of $60 per person if you get more than just the naming rights.
You can even get a package that sends your "special someone" a cockroach beanie.
What Do People Think Of These Events?
Judging by the amount of money donated yearly to these zoos, plenty of people support the "Anti-Valentine's Day" idea. A spokesperson for the San Antonio Zoo, Cyle Perez, told the BBC they raised $250,000 for the latest year on record.
From another point of view, NPR interviewed Amy Dickinson about this topic, and she thinks she is crude. Amy wrote a syndicated newspaper column called "Ask Amy." Now, she has several platforms to give advice. She told NPR about the naming a cockroach issue,
It's in questionable taste to invite people to call out their exes by enticing them to name a cockroach after them. The intent seems to be to insult people.
Um, yeah, if you and your ex had a bad breakup, then you might not even care if that person is insulted or not. It's all up to you! But, you will need to ask yourself, does that poor cockroach really need to be saddled with the name of your terrible ex for a whole day? Isn't that a mean thing to do to a cockroach if your ex is really that awful? LOL.
Then again, if you are only hoping for a slight jab to that person, then a cockroach naming might just be right up your alley. You can secretly have that person named after a cockroach and send the notification to yourself, so only you will know, or be that person seeking revenge and send it straight to your cruel-hearted ex. Either way, the zoos use the money to help all of the wildlife at their facilities, so they are the real winners.
The Bronx Zoo Has The Most Options For The One You Love (Or Hate)
The Bronx Zoo offers seven different package options for that special someone. The basic package allows you to name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after someone, and you get a digital certificate. Now, you have to decide if you are sending it to someone you despise or someone you want to devote your whole soul to.
There are several other packages with various offerings, including the roach beanie and virtual encounter with the cockroaches. They also offer a Roach Romance Package and the Valentine's Variety Package that includes up-close encounters with the roaches, but that's not all! According to the package specifics,
....in this special Wild Encounter, you'll meet FOUR different animals and learn some surprising secrets about their mating rituals and what makes relationships tick in the animal kingdom
Okay, cue the Barry White.
The San Antonio Zoo offers you the chance to feed something to other wildlife at the zoo. You can symbolically name a cockroach, a rodent, or some veggies, and those items will be fed to another animal!
There are similar programs in Idaho and Chicago, so happy shopping, and let us know how this whole cockroach thing works for you!
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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz