Valentine's Day is here. And zoos across the US are breaking into the Valentine's Day gift market, offering swarms of opportunities to name cockroaches after loved ones ” or, maybe, an ex.
The Bronx Zoo's Name a Roach program, now in its 11th year, offers an unusual way to show your undying love. For $15, you can name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after your special someone. The money benefits the Wildlife Conservation Society, a non-profit organization, the zoo's website says.
It's a gift designed to last. After all, "roaches are forever," the site reminds us. You'll get a certificate to memorialize the gift.
For some, like Susie, described on the zoo's site as a "satisfied roach namer and lover of romance," naming a roach has become a Valentine's Day tradition.
"Roses and chocolates come and go, but roaches last an eternity," Susie says, "just like our love!"
The zoo also offered "a delightful Valentine's Virtual Encounter with a Madagascar hissing cockroach" ” but those meet-and-greet opportunities are already sold out.
The zoo also had other items on offer ” roach socks and roach beanies (for you, not the insect!) ” that have been snapped up too.
Other zoos are also in on the lovebug trend
At the Houston Museum of Natural Science, you can buy an "endless love" name-a-roach pin for $10. It comes with a digital certificate and, of course, the naming of a roach.
"There's two things we're sure will last forever; True Love and Roaches," the site reads.
Build-A-Bear is selling Valentine's Day stuffed animals for (millennial) adults only
But the San Antonio Zoo's Cry Me a Cockroach fundraiser is geared toward naming after the ones who "really [made] 2021 difficult," such as an "ex-partner, boss, or bestie."
The Texas zoo offers a selection of living things to name: It costs $5 to name a leafy green, $10 for a roach and $25 for a rodent. And, warning, this next part may not be for everyone: Those who upgrade their donation can watch a video of their newly named creature being fed to an animal.
The Nebraska Humane Society's litter box promotion isn't far off from San Antonio's approach. For $15, the organization will write an ex's first name at the bottom of a litter box.
And it leaves the rest to the cats.
