Our host organization in Vietnam, Wildlife At Risk, offers the opportunity to become a lifelong sponsor for any animal currently under its protection. Adopting the animal requires a one time fee and results in a plaque with a picture of the animal, the name that you’ve chosen for it as well as the name of the sponsor being placed on its cage.

With Lori’s birthday a few days away, it seemed like a logical gift. Particularly since there is a rare and endangered species here – a tiny, tawny, vegetarian furball with huge saucer eyes that offers up the cutest most disarming look. The species is called the Loris. I kid you not. This particular genus is the smallest of the family and is known as the Pygmy Loris. My Lori is now the proud benefactor of two Loris’. One is now named Lorilei,  the other, a one year old, is called Antrev, after the boys. The elder one is destined to live out its days on the reserve; the younger one, if all goes according to plan, will be released in a year or so.

Mr. Lam, the director of WAR suggested that spending the money on an animal that will ultimately be released into the wild may not be cost efficient. Lori, to her credit, argued that the raison d’etre of the shelter is to return animals back to its habitat and that she would be happiest being associated with an animal that regained it’s full circle of life. Hacunah Mitada.

Written by Bruce, ‘s husband ;0)