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The r/WallStreetBets community of Reddit, which was responsible for driving up shares of video game retailer GameStop, has initiated a movement once again to aid a gorilla conservation organization.
Redditor Pakistani_in_Murica from the said subreddit kickstarted the donation after posting about donating extra money they got from GameStop investments to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, as per People on March 15.
Thousands of users then joined the cause and have so far donated over $338,000 (around P16.5 million) to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, which helps protect two endangered gorilla species in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda and Congo, as per its website.
Anyone can symbolically adopt gorillas by donating through the program that the organization said is one of its main grassroots fundraisers.
Pakistani_in_Murica adopted an infant gorilla named Urungano in reference to the subreddit’s motto, “Apes together strong,” the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International said in a Twitter thread yesterday, March 16.
“It’s safe to say that the #investor community on @reddit is not traditionally who we think of as our supporter base. But they definitely surprised and overwhelmed us over the weekend,” the organization said.
🚨WE HAVE NEWS 🚨 It’s safe to say that the #investor community on @reddit is not traditionally who we think of as our supporter base. But they definitely surprised and overwhelmed us over the weekend. A THREAD. @CNN @CNBC @business @WSJ pic.twitter.com/JRB1Gj1Mub
— Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (@SavingGorillas) March 15, 2021
People interested in symbolically adopting a gorilla will receive a digital certificate and be updated by the organization of their gorilla’s status through photos and videos, according to the organization.
“And you can *bet* those funds will go straight into our field programs, where 365 days a year we’re tracking, monitoring and studying wild gorillas and their habitat, and helping people who share their first home,” the organization said in one tweet.
“As it turns out, gorillas are a great #investment! Gorillas live in the Congo Basin, the second largest rainforest in the world and a natural defense against #climatechange. When we save gorillas, we save the planet. How’s that for #ROI?” it said in the following tweet.
As it turns out, gorillas are a great #investment ! Gorillas live in the Congo Basin, the second largest rainforest in the world and a natural defense against #climatechange . When we save gorillas, we save the planet. How’s that for #ROI ? https://t.co/X4yqvSHkjd
— Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (@SavingGorillas) March 15, 2021
The said Reddit community is known for actively seeking out struggling companies to both earn profit and fight Wall Street investors shorting these companies at the same time. Ian Biong /ra
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