This Valentine’s Day, the San Antonio Zoo is once again embracing an unconventional approach to the holiday with its annual “Cry Me a Cockroach” fundraiser, a tongue-in-cheek campaign that has become a viral tradition.
The fundraiser allows visitors to donate $5 or $15 in exchange for naming a cockroach, vegetable, or rat after an ex-partner, which is then fed to one of the zoo’s animals. Cockroaches and vegetables cost $5, while rats are priced at $15, with all proceeds going toward the care and feeding of the zoo’s residents.
Participants simply choose their option on the zoo’s website, submit the name of their “not-so-special someone,” and complete the donation. As a bonus, donors receive a downloadable video showing the chosen critter being eaten, which the zoo encourages them to share with friends or former flames.
The campaign has sparked widespread attention on social media, with many users finding humor in the playful revenge concept, while others question the ethics of feeding live prey named after real people. In response, the San Antonio Zoo has emphasized that the fundraiser is meant to be “all in good fun” and serves as a creative way to turn Valentine’s Day frustration into meaningful support for animal welfare.