For the second year in a row, the wild and crazy staff at the San Antonio Zoo offers the brokenhearted a novel way to oh-so-satisfyingly get back at their exes on Valentine's Day. Yes, their incredibly popular Cry Me a Cockroach Fundraiser is back!
For a small non-refundable donation of $5.00, $10.00, or $25.00, the zoo staff will "symbolically name a [cock]roach, rat, or veggie after your ex or not-so-special someone." The San Antonio Zoo staff will then happily feed your selection of a bug, a rodent, or a vegetable to a deserving and hungry zoo animal.
Don't worry, animal lovers and PETA, no additional rats are killed specifically for the brokenhearted's vengeful pleasure. All the rats used in the fundraiser are pre-frozen, just like the usual rodents that are fed to the animals as part of their regular daily scheduled feedings. "They are delivered frozen from a mouse farm and stored at [the] Nutrition Center until thawed for feedings," the zoo's website states.
Additionally, participants of Cry Me a Cockroach receive "a digital Valentine’s Day Card" showing their support for the fundraiser, including the cockroach, rat, or veggie dedication to your ex. And just for, um, fun, this card could be sent to your ex or posted to your personal social media to let the world know you've been, um, thinking of your ex. Sharing is caring, amirite?
Even the live roaches are humanely sourced, as the animal activists like to say. They come from "professional roach breeders," and the Reptile Department cares for and maintains the entire cockroach colony in its Reptile House. In fact, the San Antonio Zoo is the "first zoological facility in the world" to achieve certification by "the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Zoological Association of America, and American Humane." American Humane is "the country’s first national humane organization and the world’s largest certifier of animal welfare practices." See? No worries, there.
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Perhaps you're not into the carnivores, though. You're in luck, my little brokenhearted friend. There's a veggie alternative just for you. A vegetable option of romaine lettuce, cabbage, and other leafy greens can be fed to one of the zoo's vegetarian animals. No vegetables are harmed for the fundraiser except, you know, on Valentine’s Day when they're eaten. It's all good and tasty.
The Brokenhearted and the general public can watch for Cry Me A Cockroach content on the San Antonio Zoo's social media channels on Facebook, TwitterX, Instagram, and YouTube.
After delighting audiences across the globe for years with its Valentine's offerings, San Antonio Zoo is bringing even more rizz and claiming its rightful title as the Valentine's Capital of the World. Whether in love, out of love, or looking for love, San Antonio Zoo is your… pic.twitter.com/m1mTHGBYaZ
— San Antonio Zoological Society 🦍 (@SanAntonioZoo) January 13, 2024
Besides creating some fun but sweet, sweet revenge, all donations to the Cry Me a Cockroach Fundraiser enable the San Antonio Zoo to continue its "mission of securing a future for wildlife."
If you're not into the bugs, the rodents, and the vegetables, the San Antonio Zoo offers "a range of exciting offerings and events designed for those in love, out of love, or looking for love." Ditch the cards and chocolates. Stand out from the crowd this Valentine’s Day at the San Antonio Zoo. Try the Poop-Scented Hippo Love Candle (yes, really!), Meet Your Next Ex Singles Event (why not?), Naughty by Nature Zoo Tour (heck, yeah!), or the Wild at Heart Dining Experience (yes, please!).
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