About ten years back, my parents officially had everything they needed, so when it came to Christmas time I had to start working super hard to find something unique that they had never heard of or only partially needed. These days, I've started moving towards consumables like plane tickets, wine and special olive oil; something they can enjoy for a little while but that will eventually go away. I'm even starting to consider philanthropic gifts, as in giving to a charity or NPR in their name.

But I never thought of rhino poop.

The International Rhino Foundation recently posted the auction of some of their most endangered species' excrement, in what has to be one of the strangest fund raising tactics that I've ever seen. It's actually an interesting idea and I really like the fact that they have found unique ways to raise money for a great cause -- I'm not sure how well a piece of rhino poo (albeit in a nice glass case) would fit on my mantle.

As of November 29th, four specimens, those of the White, Black, Indian and Sumatran Rhinoceros became available on Ebay, with staggered starting prices based on the rarity of the animal. You can check out the auctions by searching for "rhino poop" or following the links through endangeredfeces.org. Right now the White Rhino poop is the best deal at 125$, but bid early! Someone might snipe your rhino poop out from you at the last second and you'll be up shit-creek for a holiday gift.

Filed under: Activism, Ecotourism