Adopt a Zoo Animal — Without the Mess

Did you know that you can adopt and sponsor a zoo animal, and you won't have to buy food, or even a pooper scooper?  Yes you can. Read on.

The care and feeding of zoo animals and birds, and maintaining their facilities is expensive, and gate admissions, public funds and private donations don't pay for everything. This is why Lufkin's Ellen Trout Zoo uses the ADOPT program, which allows people to help the zoo pay its bills.  ADOPT is a clever acronym that stands for Animals Depend On People Too.

Zoo Director Gordon Henley tells the Lufkin News that people who join the ADOPT sponsorship program can enjoy animal parenthood without any of the mess. “It’s another way that people can be involved in the zoo, have some ownership and see their name displayed on a plaque out here when they come out to visit."

Henley says their "donation goes to improve their (animal's) homes, their care and conservation efforts...We started this in the early ’80s as a way that people can donate to the zoo to help us out.  Anybody can donate.”