Roaches are forever as novel Valentine's gift

In what is described as the perfect Valentine's Day gift, New York's Bronx Zoo is offering the chance to name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after that special someone in your life.

"Flowers wilt. Chocolates melt. Roaches are forever," the zoo said on its website about the name a roach gift, which was also billed as a limited Valentine's Day offer.

More than 1,000 people chose the cockroach option for their Valentine in the first 24 hours of the offer this week, a zoo spokesman said.

The recipient of the present gets a certificate explaining that there is a special insect living at the zoo with his or her name on it.

The USD 10 donation for the gift will go to helping preserve wildlife and forests in Madagascar, according to the zoo, which has some 58,000 Madagascar specimens that need names.

The Madagascar is the largest and noisiest variety of cockroach.