San Antonio Zoo asks Toys R Us to donate ‘Geoffrey the Giraffe’ trademark to support giraffe conservation

Online shopping brought the demise of Toys R Us, but the San Antonio Zoo wants to repurpose the “Geoffrey the Giraffe” trademark for something new – real giraffe conservation.

The toy store, which opened its first location 61 years ago, is closing its last few stores after years of financial troubles. But the San Antonio Zoo doesn’t think this should be the end of the company’s legacy.

Rather than let Geoffrey “go extinct,” the zoo has asked the company’s owners to donate the use of the trademark to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. The foundation is a nonprofit that supports the protection of giraffes in Africa, where it is estimated that there are less than 100,000 individuals left.

Zoo officials also set up a GoFundMe to raise $100,000 for the foundation. Their hope, according to the page, is to persuade the owners of Toys R Us to let Geoffrey live on and help other, real life, giraffes all across Africa.

“This is a chance for Geoffrey and the great people at Toys R Us to leave a legacy gift that has the potential to change the world and bring smiles to children for generations to come,” the zoo wrote on the GoFundMe page.