Un-romantics and the broken-hearted look for unusual ways to mark Valentine's Day, and a veritable cottage industry of revenge has sprung up to heed the call.

Valentine's Day celebrates love – but there are also inventive ways to celebrate singledom. For some, that might look like a night out with friends or a "Galentines". For others, it might be using the day to get revenge on an ex – or at the very least, mending a broken heart via a little catharsis at the local zoo.

In recent years, the greater public has gobbled up events dedicated to ex-lover-induced rages. One of those events is San Antonio's Zoo's annual "Cry Me a Cockroach" fundraiser. The Texas-based tradition makes donating to the organisation a little more fun by enabling the angry or heartbroken person to name a roach, rat or veggie after their ex. It will then be fed to a hungry animal.

Cyle Perez, spokesperson for the San Antonio Zoo, says the viral event started in 2020, and has "snowballed" since then. To date, it has raised around $250,000 (£199,000) in donations from the scorned. Each year has brought in successively more money, and although Perez says the final numbers won't be in until after Valentine's Day, this year could be the most successful. Perez adds part of the event's "uniqueness" is that it's allowed the zoo to "invite people all over the world to contribute" to their mission. It's "the most fun time of year", he says.

Animal shelters have also joined the anti-Valentine's Day movement, with spay/neuter events that allow people to name an animal after their exes before the procedure. The Feline Rescue Center in Baltimore, Maryland recently posted their Neuter Your Ex event, and other shelters across the US and Canada have held similar events.

Back by popular demand

Prepared to donate for that (not so) special someone? Here are a handful of zoos........

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