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What Would You Do With A Spare $10 million?

Discussion in 'Zoo Cafe' started by Zoofan15, 10 Apr 2018.

  1. Zoofan15

    Zoofan15 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    This thread is partly inspired by @littleRedPanda's post, which asks what would you do with your money if you died.

    On a lighter note, I'm interested to hear what people would do if they found themselves with a spare $10 million.

    The scenario: You somehow find yourself a billionaire. You do the obvious things like retiring (whether your 18 or 65 years old), going on trips around the world, buying property, putting your kids through college or helping out your friends and family, buying your dream car etc.

    On Christmas Eve of that year, you're visted by three ghosts during the night, who order you to spare $10 million for a cause related to animals. You don't say "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!" You don't call Ghost Busters and you certiantly don't quibble about whether the cause has to be animal related. You say "Yes ghosts." and get straight down to drafting ideas of where this spare $10 million will be going.


    In the post below, share your ideas...
     
    Last edited: 10 Apr 2018
  2. littleRedPanda

    littleRedPanda Well-Known Member

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    If I was a billionaire, then $10m would be nothing. I would therefore pile it into one cause, to see how beneficial it was over maybe a 10 year period, with a view to ploughing more into it, or an associated project at a later date. Without thinking too much about it, I would donate to projects relating to the release of Amur Leopards into the wild and safeguarding theirs and the Amur Tiger's futures.
     
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  3. PossumRoach

    PossumRoach Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I would try to destroy me some AR groups, and buy every possum in NZ and bring them to the eastern US trade.
     
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  4. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    For me, it would be pretty much the same answer I gave to the question in littleRedPanda’s thread: I would split the money between Free The Bears Fund and Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. There’s no question as to where my loyalties lie!
     
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  5. Welsh Zootographer

    Welsh Zootographer Well-Known Member

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    Mine would be shared between various heritage steam railways and the NKF.
     
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  6. Zoofan15

    Zoofan15 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    You sure love your sunbears @beccasunbear.

    I'd give the $10 million to a specific zoo/s in New Zealand on the condition they used it for a particular species. This would be a species I'd feel would enhance their collection.

    Off the top of my head, this would be either jaguar for Auckland Zoo, snow leopards for Wellington Zoo or chimpanzee for Orana Wildlife Park.

    I'd be heavily involved with the planning of the new enclosures and aquisition of the animal and would insist on working at least one day a week at the zoo with the team caring for that animal and be involved in introductions, breeding of that species.

    I'd aim to be a fully productive member of the team but in the initial days and weeks, I'd likely be perceived as just that annoying lad who turns up to 'help' and everyone at the zoo has to look pleased about this because he's richer than anyone they know and the zoo needs his money.
     
    Last edited: 11 Apr 2018
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  7. animal_expert01

    animal_expert01 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Pay to remove every last cane toad, feral cat, red fox, feral pig and rabbit from Australia.
     
  8. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    I really do. These two organisations are doing such great work for sun bears and so I feel by far that they would deserve my money above all others. Not to say that any other organisations are any less worthy, just that these two best meet my own personal interests and therefore would provide the most valuable investment for me and my needs.
     
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  9. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    Where are you going to find homes in the US pet trade for 30 million Brush-tailed Possums??
     
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  10. animal_expert01

    animal_expert01 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    A much better option would just be to release them into the wild of Australia.
     
  11. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    New Zealand animals are hybrid stock, largely a mix of fuliginosus and vulpecula.
     
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  12. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    Set up a dedicated breeding facility somewhere out in the wilds of Northumberland for Marbled Polecat and European Mink - several pairs of each belonging to multiple genetic lines, and working with the EAZA studbooks for both.
     
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  13. PossumRoach

    PossumRoach Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Dang I didn't thought of the numbers...
    Obviously I would start by finding states that allow marsupials to be privately kept. Then I would look for no-breed sanctuaries (although some pet owners don't breed their animals so I wouldn't know the difference between some sanctuaries and roadside zoos other than the agenda). I would give some to zoos (big and small) and animal educators (read: pet owners in denial who make money off their pets while lecturing others not to keep animals) as animal ambassadors, because I consider brush-tail possums as animals with a great potential to be marsupial ambassadors, since they are larger than a sugar gliders but smaller than a kangaroos. Ditto this process in GB, South Korea ,Russia , and Thailand. Then I would try to convince people that possums are not different from cats and they deserve love. I wouldn't mind releasing hybridized possums to Australia since some people can't distinguish the subspecies. I would just release them based on their phenotype. I would release some to Turkey as a FU for being what it is.
     
    Last edited: 14 Apr 2018
  14. Welsh Zootographer

    Welsh Zootographer Well-Known Member

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    And can you really buy them for $0.33 each? :rolleyes:
     
  15. PossumRoach

    PossumRoach Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    The price would be a little higher than the price of an imported south Korea Meat dog.
     
  16. ZooBinh

    ZooBinh Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Probably build an endangered species breeding center.
     
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  17. TheMightyOrca

    TheMightyOrca Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Well, if I was already a billionaire and didn't need the ten million... I'd either use it to fund a cetacean sanctuary (if there was one available) or I'd spend it towards something related to Texas wildlife. Maybe help fund a conservation group, or education center, or zoo exhibit.
     
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  18. Hix

    Hix Wildlife Enthusiast and Lover of Islands 15+ year member Premium Member

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    If I was a billionaire I'd already be donating at least 10 million every year. It would be split between JWPT (or whatever they are these days) and Wildlife Conservation International, and any other worthwhile wildlife oriented project, including upgrading zoos in developing nations with a significant educational component directed at the local populace.

    I'd also fly 50 Australian herpetophiles to Guam for a several weeks, to go out each night in a co-ordinated and methodical fashion, catching Brown Tree Snakes.

    :p

    Hix
     
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  19. Buldeo

    Buldeo Well-Known Member

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    It might cost a little more than $10-million, but hiring a group of mercenaries and carving off a chunk of the DRC for myself has always been appealing.
     
  20. FunkyGibbon

    FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

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    Well, enough people have tried that in the last few hundred years. I'm not sure the ecological or humanitarian consequences have been that great for anyone involved.
     
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