In the build-up to Valentine’s Day, IAR is urging people to opt for a more sustainable and meaningful gift than traditional flowers and chocolates by ‘virtually adopting’ one of the animals in our care.
Animals available for adoption include orangutans, bears, slow lorises and howler monkeys - all species that IAR rescues and rehabilitates in our centres around the world.
Funds raised from the adoptions will go towards the cost of feeding and caring for the animals, providing them with medical treatment and ensuring they lead long, healthy and happy lives. The adoptions also support our work rescuing and rehabilitating animals and preparing individuals that are viable for release for reintroduction into the wild.
Each adoption pack includes a personalised printable certificate and a fact sheet, as well as a digital photo of the adopted animal to print out and keep. The recipient will also receive exclusive news and photos of their chosen animal. It is the perfect gift for anyone who loves animals and cares about the conservation of endangered species and the environment.
Any adoption taken out in the run up to Valentine’s Day can be delivered to the recipient’s email address on 14th February.
To add some extra fun to the adoption process, potential adopters can take part in an online quiz to find their perfect match - which could be a sleepy sloth bear or a mischievous monkey, or even a stealthy slow loris with a sudden burst of speed!
Among the animals available for adoption are magnificent JoJo the Bornean orangutan who is in the rehabilitation centre in Indonesia; Max the brown bear, living in Armenia with Minnie, his own special sweetheart; and an armful of orphaned baby howler monkeys receiving round the clock care in Costa Rica. There are plenty of other candidates too, all with sad stories of how they came to need rescuing and are now undergoing rehabilitation in the hope that one day they can return to the wild.
“What better way can there be both to show someone you love them and show some love for the natural world than to take out one of our adoptions!” says IAR CEO Alan Knight. “And if you don’t have a Valentine to buy for, why not just treat yourself? All our adoptions are for genuine animals that IAR’s teams have rescued. Their stories are incredibly moving and it’s heartwarming to see how much people care about them.
“Take JoJo for example. He was the first orangutan we ever rescued and it was after seeing the plight of JoJo that IAR set up its orangutan conservation project in West Borneo. JoJo can never return to the wild after spending so many years chained up. He is too mentally and physically damaged. We are committed to caring for him for the rest of his life and giving him the best quality treatment and care. So we are hugely grateful to everyone who chooses to adopt JoJo and help us keep him as happy and healthy as we can.”