Hannah Braxton, who knitted the 30cm tall doll and its tiger companion, will donate all proceeds to Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park, which needs funding to maintain the care and welfare of animals during lockdown.
The auction price for the doll started off at $1 and by Friday morning, the top bid was sitting at $270 after 18 people bid on the item. It is set to close on Monday at 6.20pm.
A Givealittle page launched by Orana Wildlife Park on April 16 has so far raised $327,594 in donations.
The park's director Lynn Anderson said there has been tears shed over the support received so far.
She said at this stage it is hard to tell how long the funds will last, as the park will be “in it for the long haul.”
While Orana Wildlife Park is closed, it can only afford about 40 per cent of its weekly operating costs through the government's wage subsidy. About 400 animals live there, and their care costs about $70,000 a week.
It will not be able to reopen when the country moves into alert level 3, and while it may be able to open under alert level 2, income is likely to be low without as many tourists and social distancing rules affecting attractions like shuttles and the lion encounter.
However, Anderson said “every cent helps.”
More than 200 people have added Miss Braxton’s doll to their watchlist, and the listing has racked up more than 10,000 views.
The doll was sure to attract attention, considering 64 million households watched the Tiger King docu-series in the first four weeks of it being released on Netflix.
Miss Braxton said she is pleased people are enjoying her creation, which she made free hand without following a pattern.
“I crochet as a hobby anyway and was looking for a new project. I read that Orana Park was struggling to feed their animals and wanted to help,” she said.
To view or bid on the crotchet Joe Exotic, visit: https://www.trademe.co.nz/books/nonfiction/crafts/knitting-needlecraft/listing-2599328239.htm
Or to donate to Orana Wildlife Park, visit: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-orana-wildlife-park-survive-covid-19
