This zoo will name a cockroach after your ex and feed it to a meerkat, so Happy Valentine’s Day!
With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, love is in the air. But if you’re getting over a bad breakup or have been single for a while, a holiday dedicated to romance can admittedly be a downer. And if the sight of red and pink hearts is making you nauseous, the El Paso Zoo has the perfect, cathartic remedy. This V-Day, you can name a cockroach after your ex…and then watch as a meerkat devours it.
In a February 4th Facebook post, the zoo announced that you can send them a message with your ex’s name, and a cockroach will be christened in their (dis)honor. The zoo will share the insects’ names (first name, last initial) on its social media pages beginning on February 11th, and they will also be on display at the meerkat exhibit. Then, on February 14th at 2:15 p.m. CT, you can tune in on Facebook Live or the zoo’s website to see the meerkats chow down. Fittingly, the event is called “Quit Bugging Me.”
"This is a fun way to get the community involved in our daily enrichment activities," El Paso Zoo Event Coordinator Sarah Borrego told CBS affiliate KFDM. "The meerkats love to get cockroaches as a snack and what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by feeding them a cockroach named after your ex."
The El Paso Zoo isn’t the only place you can name a creepy-crawly after someone special. For $10, the Bronx Zoo will let you name a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach after your ex (or anyone…we won’t judge). Unlike their Texan counterparts, however, the Bronx cockroaches won’t be sacrificed to hungry meerkats. It’s a time-honored tradition, and the zoo even sells roach-themed merch—if that’s what you’re into.
No matter how or if you choose to celebrate, we hope your Valentine’s Day is everything you want it to be—roaches and all.
