Members of the subreddit r/WallStreetBets, the influential Reddit community that helped GameStop's stock skyrocket, place their newfound wealth to good use as they adopted animals en masse.
A Reddit user named Pakistani_in_Murica said they donated the extra money they made from GameStop investments to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International in a post on the WallStreetBets subreddit over the weekend.
According to the organization's website, they assist in the conservation of two endangered gorilla populations in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda's and Congo's Virunga Mountains.
Apes Together Strong: How Much Did WallStreetBets Donate To Gorilla Charity?
Anyone who wants to assist in their efforts will symbolically adopt a gorilla by donating to the campaign. Pakistani_in_Murica claimed to have "adopted" Urungano, a wild gorilla born in June 2017.
The donation announcement drew a huge amount of coverage on Reddit, with more than 112,000 upvotes and hundreds of bids as of Monday afternoon (which users have to purchase with real money to give out).
A spokesperson from Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International told Newsweek that they collected more than $265,000 in contributions over the weekend. But, perhaps most significantly, it appears that the post prompted other WallStreetBets members to contribute to the cause.
WallStreetBets members also adopted manatees, snow leopards, donkeys, bonobos, warthogs, and a number of other species from other conservation funds.
The fund, which added the term "APES TOGETHER STRONG" to their website and tweeted on Saturday that they had raised $77,000, before breaking $100,000 by Sunday, has taken note of this apparently random snowball of philanthropy. As of writing, they now raised $301,000.
Apes Together Strong $301,000 and counting from r/wallstreetbets
The gorilla reference comes from the subreddit's internal nickname, "ape gang," which refers to the party as a bunch of monkeys pressing buttons on a keyboard to buy stocks. Users often use gorilla emojis in their posts to refer to their so-called "ape gang."
Fossey Fund Thanks WallStreetBets Members For Their Support
Tara Stoinski, the fund's president and CEO, recorded a post to the subreddit, thanking them for their contributions. "I was just made aware that you have been adopting gorillas through our website," Stoinski says in the video.
"I wanted to say thank you so much for this incredible support ... it will go a long way in helping our important mission." The Fossey Fund likewise highlighted and thanked the Reddit community for their fundraising efforts in a series of tweets on Monday.
🚨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
The fund, which has been monitoring and preserving gorilla populations since 1972, is one of the oldest and longest-running primate conservation groups. Donors who help the fund consider the gorillas they protect to be their own.
According to Business Insider, you could adopt your own gorilla for $60 to $150 on the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund website. You'll get a video of the gorilla in motion, a certificate, and an annual update on your favorite furry buddy for this one-time donation.
WallStreetBets' popularity continues to increase, with 9.5 million members seeking to invest in stocks. The subreddit has remained the hub for traders who just want to see their "stocks" go up despite the moderators' coup attempt and a federal investigation for insider trading.
RELATED ARTICLE : The COVID-19 Pandemic Leads to Increase in Animal Abuse and Abandonment: Here's Why
Check out more news and information on Animals on Science Times.
