Adoption Agency

An item in the news this week indicated that as a country we have an adoption crisis. A good time for a small booklet to appear in the home from WWF. All these wildlife charities are intensely focused on finding ways to raise funds. This booklet is full of adoption ideas.



Among their enticing projects are:

Adopt an Elephant
Adopt a Polar Bear
Adopt a Penguin
Adopt an Orang-Utan
etc. etc.
This brings to mind a documentary on Channel 4 earlier this year called 'Conservation's Dirty Secrets'.

I'm wondering how long it will be before Wildlife Trusts here and elsewhere pick up this idea. Raising funds seems to form the greatest portion of their activities. They might decide on 'Adopt a Badger' as that fits with their emblem but my observation suggests they have little interest in wild mammals. Or considering their obsession with birds they might aspire to 'Adopt a Dartford Warbler'.
Even more appropriate could be this, considering the main focus of Sheffield Wildlife Trust's activities:



We're not short of alternatives though. What about 'Adopt a Barbed Wire Fence' or 'Adopt a Deskbound Conservationist'? Or even 'Adopt a Farm Subsidy'?

As far as WWF is concerned isn't this a bit unseemly? Something of a beauty contest or X factor attitude to conservation. Probably reflects most on how they see their supporters.