Gifts from the safari

By Clara Bosonetto Maerz

For ajc.com

All I want for Christmas is a .... Giraffe.

Give your animal lovers a gift that gives back.

During the gift giving holiday season - or for a birthday, anniversary or another milestone - adopt an African animal. The recipient will receive a one-year e-membership to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), an all-natural chocolate from Endangered Species Chocolate and a plush toy which represents the animal you adopt for them.

Nine gift collections are offered at three price levels, including $30, $45 and $75.

Animals which are currently up for adoption include:

- Oltupai, a friendly bull Elephant, once presumed killed by poachers

- Charles, a Mountain Gorilla

- Auntie Botlhe, a young Lioness

- Leperit, a young Grevy’s zebra stallion

- Kakuda, an 18-foot bull Giraffe

- Loli, a mature female Leopard and mother of two

- Jabari, a black Rhino bull, about 20 years old

- Kerubo, a young male African wild dog

- Wanda, an adult female Warthog

A $30 package, for example, includes a $15 donation to African Wildlife Foundation, the AWF membership, the plush animal and three 3 oz. Endangered Species Chocolate bars.

The $45 level includes a $25 AWF donation and $40 of the $75 package is donated to AWF. These two higher level packages include all of the same features - plus more of those yummy chocolate bars.

All proceeds from the AWF adoption program go to support AWF’s work in the African Heartlands.

Since its inception AWF has protected endangered species and land, promoted partnerships with the private sector for ecotourism to benefit local African communities, and trained hundreds of African nationals in conservation - all to ensure the survival of Africa's unparalleled wildlife heritage. AWF is a non-profit organization headquartered in Kenya.

Adoption Collections are available online and ready to be shipped in time for the holidays.

http://www.awf.org/chocolate