Wildlife Inspired Holiday Gifts

Written By Danielle Carnahan

Give the gift of giving back for all the wildlife lovers in your life. Holiday shopping doesn’t have to be full of materialism and waste; instead, it can be a time to support some worthy conservation causes! If you’re ready to get shopping, I’ve put together a list of wildlife-inspired holiday gifts for you to browse.

Access my full gift guide, featuring two blog posts from last year, by clicking on this landing page!

Symbolic Wildlife Adoption

A symbolic wildlife adoption is when you contribute to the cost of a specific animal’s yearly expenses and, in return, receive exclusive information, updates, and/or photos. This is a great way to feel more connected to a specific sanctuary/rescue and get insider looks into their operations!

Depending on the facility, they may even send a gift package along with your adoption. You could receive something like a stuffed animal to symbolize your rescue, an adoption certificate, or other merchandise affiliated with the organization you supported.

This is an excellent gift if you know someone’s favorite animal and want to give them the gift of knowing they’re helping to take care of that animal. The vast majority of sanctuaries around the globe offer this kind of program, and at the end of this article, you’ll find a list of recommended facilities you can support in this way.

Donate in Someone’s Name

Registering a donation in someone’s name is a great way to give back to conservation efforts that are working in the field protecting wildlife. Since many organizations do not have captive wildlife, they do not offer the symbolic adoption option; however, they take donations to help fund their work.

For anyone interested in protecting a particular species in the wild, this is an excellent option as funds can go towards emergency veterinary funds, the vehicles and/or technology needed to operate, and the salary of their employees. Expenses can be high even if an organization does not care for any captive wildlife, so many conservation organizations rely on donations.

Wildlife Inspired Gifts

Buying sustainable wildlife-inspired gifts can be another way to give back to conservation efforts while receiving a particular item in return. Several organizations around the world sell certain products to bring in extra money for their operations.

For example, Down to the Wire is an organization in Africa that fights against poaching. They make jewelry out of snares to bring in funding for their work. Snares are mental wire traps set out to catch large animals, like elephants, rhinos, gorillas, giraffes, etc. When poaching units find these snares, they take them apart to ensure they don’t hurt any animals. When supporting Down to the Wire, you’re getting a piece of jewelry made from a deconstructed snare. This is one less snare that could potentially injure an animal, and with your contribution, the organization can continue its essential work. The funds made from this jewelry go to wildlife veterinarians in the field treating the animals affected by snares.

Another example of a gift that gives back to conservation is fahlo. This brand creates bracelets for specific species, and with each order, you have a particular animal that you can track! Whichever cause you choose the support, a percentage of funds goes back to the conservation efforts of that species. With this, you get something beautiful while also giving back to something greater.

If you’re looking to support wildlife conservation and preservation of the planet more broadly, shopping from brands like Happy Earth Apparel will plant trees and give back to conservation work with every purchase made! Further, platforms like Earth Hero use plastic-free carbon-zero shipping methods and serve as an environmentally friendly version of large sites like Amazon!

Before finalizing any orders, be sure to check out my shopping codes and links that offer you discounts on your eco-friendly wildlife-inspired purchases. 

Conservation Organization Recommendations

If you’re ready to give back to a conservation organization for this holiday season, here is a list of some great organizations to consider supporting:

Elephant Conservation Projects

Asian elephants:

  • Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary, located in Thailand.

  • Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary, Thailand

  • Mahouts Elephant Foundation, Thailand

  • Chang Chill, Thailand

  • Elephant Nature Park, Thailand

  • Following Giants, Thailand

  • Elephant Valley Project, Cambodia

  • MandaLao Elephant Conservation, Laos

  • Stand Up 4 Elephants, Nepal

  • Wildlife SOS, India

African elephants:

  • Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya

  • Elephant Reintegration Trust, South Africa

  • HERD Elephant Orphanage, South Africa

  • Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, Malawi

  • RESCUE Retiti Elephant Sanctuary

  • Performing Animal Welfare Society, California USA. This sanctuary is home to a variety of species, including bears, tigers, elephants, and many more!

Rhino Conservation Projects

  • The Rhino Orphanage, South Africa

  • International Rhino Foundation, Indonesia

  • Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya

  • Zululand Rhino Orphanage, South Africa

  • The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, Indonesia

  • Care for Wild, South Africa

  • The Rhino Orphanage, South Africa

  • Save the Rhino

  • Black Mambas (all-woman anti-poaching group)

  • Helping Rhinos

  • VetPaw (Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife)

Great Ape Conservation Projects

Gorillas:

  • GRACE Gorilla, Democratic Republic of Congo

Orangutans:

  • The Orangutan Project, Borneo

  • Sumatran Orangutan Society

  • Borneo Orangutan Survival

  • Orangutan Foundation International

  • Center for Great Apes, Florida USA

  • Orangutan Land Trust

Chimpanzees:

  • Project Primates, Niger and Guinée

Bonobos:

  • Bonobo Conservation Initiative, Congo Basin

Primate Conservation Projects

  • Vervet Monkey Foundation, South Africa

Pangolin Conservation Projects

  • Pangolin Crisis Fund

  • Save Pangolins

  • The Pangolin Specialist Group

  • The Pangolin Project

  • Pangolin Conservation

Giraffe Conservation Projects

  • Giraffe Centre, African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Kenya

Large Cat Conservation Projects

  • The Wildcat Sanctuary, Minnesota USA

  • The Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa

  • Performing Animal Welfare Society, California

  • Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, Malawi

  • Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia

  • Nepal Tiger Trust

  • Panthera

  • Cheetah Conservation Fund

  • WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, Oregon USA

Koala Conservation Projects

  • Port Stephens Koalas, Australia

  • Kangaroo Island Wildlife Network, Australia

Sloth Conservation Projects

  • The Sloth Institute, Costa Rica

Marine Life Conservation Projects

  • The Marine Mammal Center, California

  • Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary, Greece

Remember that this list is by no means an exhaustive list of reputable sanctuaries and organizations. There are so many others out there that are worth supporting. If you need help finding a reputable organization for a specific species, send me an email and I’ll be happy to help you find the perfect fit!

Join The Membership

Finally, if you’re looking for another way to support conservation this year and want to continue growing your knowledge of wildlife while gaining access to exclusive content, join my membership. For less than the cost of two Starbucks drinks per month, you’ll be supporting the maintenance of this website as well as my conservation work. You can read more about the membership and sign up below.

Danielle Carnahan https://www.thecalltoconserve.com
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