Granted, they’re too difficult to wrap, and probably won’t stay quiet under the tree, but how about sponsoring a tortoise, tree frog or a sugar glider for Christmas?
And that’s just one of the ideas a South Surrey-based animal rescue and rehabilitation facility has for the animal lover in your family this holiday season.
Cinemazoo and Urban Safari Rescue Society is offering three month sponsorships for as little as $15 for any one of its 200 animals.
In return, the sponsor’s name will appear on the animal’s enclosure. The money goes directly to the care and feeding of the animal.
Or, register your six-to 12-year-old in the Nature Club. There’s a seven-week course starting Feb. 3, running for two hours on Sundays. Kids will learn about animals of all kinds, including mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians and more, through games, crafts and projects. They’ll also learn about responsible pet ownership. The last class is a field trip.
For those hard-to-buy-for teens, the society offers a popular Junior Zoo Keeping course.
This is an eight-week course starting Jan. 8. It runs for two hours every Saturday. Teens from 13 to 17 years will learn about animals of all kinds, get lots of hands-on work with reptiles, small mammals, amphibians and many others, plus they’ll learn about zoo-keeping and animal care. They’ll also complete four projects, one of which is training a domestic rat.
An unusual gift option for an animal lover of any age is a yearly membership with the Urban Safari Rescue Society.
Membership includes three free guided tours of the animal facility at 1395 176 Street, a monthly newsletter with all the latest news about Urban Safari, plus a 10 per cent discount on all courses, including the Nature Club, along with voting privileges at the annual general meeting (for those aged 19 and older).
Membership is tax deductible.
To register or for more information on all these gift ideas, contact Urban Safari Rescue Society in association with Cinemazoo at 604-531-1100 or email info@urbansafarirescue.ca.
Follow the Cloverdale Reporter on 
Twitter and 
Facebook. View our print edition online.