A toddler who sent his dummies to the "baby animals" at Chester Zoo received a surprise and adorable present from its staff members.
Two-year-old Stanley was getting to an age where most children give up their dummies. The youngster's parents couldn't think of a way to wean their son off them until he made an inspired suggestion, the MEN reports.
Instead of throwing them in the bin, Stanley wanted to send his to the animals at Chester Zoo. The letter, which was written by his mum and had the dummies attached, said: "Dear baby animals, please enjoy my dummies. I am a big boy now and don't need them, love from Stanley."
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Forgetting all about it, the Studholmes, who live in Radcliffe, Bury, were delighted when a parcel arrived in the post, containing a reply from the zoo and a giraffe teddy.
The note from the zoo team said: "Dear Stanley, thank you so much for sending your dummies to us for our baby animals, it is a very thoughtful and kind gesture. We are sure the baby animals will love them.
"It is very brave of you giving your dummies away, so please find enclosed a small gesture of thanks from us - we hope it makes you smile."
Jess, 30, said Stanley, who attends Kids Adventures Prestwich and Forest School, was delighted with his gift, which he now takes everywhere with him.
Explaining how the idea came about, she said: "We were planning on getting rid of his dummies with the dummy fairy or Easter bunny, but Stanley said on nap time "don’t need it mummy" and gave it to me.
"I asked him where I should put it and he said "baby animals need it, baby rhino and baby giraffe", so we jumped at the opportunity and I thought why not actually send them to the zoo.
"I thought it might make it a bit more exciting for him and more of an event for when he undoubtedly asked for it back."
She added: "We posted them, celebrated with a cupcake from the bakery and left it at that really. I put a return address on thinking that on the off chance someone would see it they might send a postcard or something, then we got the gorgeous parcel.
"Stan was beside himself, so excited. He takes the giraffe toy everywhere and has decided it’s called Daisy. It’s been a great support for him since he doesn’t have his dummies anymore."
As for whether it's been a success in ditching the dummies for good, Jess said: "He’s asked a few times, but if he does we just ask him where they’ve gone now and he says "baby orangutan got it now" or "baby giraffe"."
A Chester Zoo spokesperson said: “We get all kinds of weird and wonderful fan mail here at Chester Zoo, but this is the first time we’ve ever received dummies. It’s such a lovely gesture, and it’s amazing to see how our charity zoo inspires children at such a young age to care for wildlife, igniting a passion for our natural world and all the species it is home to.”
