Camels, snails, pineapple plants make 'Top Ten Charity Christmas Gifts' list!

London, Dec 8 (ANI): A camel might sound bizarre as a Christmas gift, but the desert animal has been named as the most favoured choice in the top ten list of charity gifts for 2008.

The independent watchdog 'Intelligent Giving' has compiled the top ten charity gifts from a search of more than 200 charities.

Available via Oxfam for 95 pounds, the camels emerged as the winner because they "provide a whole host of services to their owners: you can ride them, and even us their dung for fertiliser," reports the Telegraph.

Standing second in the list are fish cages costing 20 pounds from Practical Action, which enable flood-prone Bangladeshis to breed fish.

At the third place in the list is destroying pistols, rifles, grenades and submachine guns by giving 20 pounds to the Collect and Destroy a Weapon Fund.

Rounding of at the fourth and fifth place are pineapple plants worth13 pounds given to Concern and 5 pounds for the Dogs Trust asking one of its carers to "give a dog a cuddle," respectively.

Lindsay Boswell, director of the Institute of Fund-raising, said: "Charities are trying to stand out among shoppers who are looking for ever more original gifts and that is what we are seeing this year."

Top Ten Charity Christmas Gifts:

1 Camel 95 pounds, Oxfam

2 Fish cages 20 pounds, Practical Action

3 Destroy recent war-zone guns 20-75 pounds, Good Gifts

4 Pineapple plants 13 pounds, Concern

5 Give a dog a cuddle 5, pounds Dogs Trust

6 Girl's school uniform 20 pounds, World Vision

7 Sponsor a brain cell for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research 15 pounds, good gifts

8 100 snails for Liberian family 8 pounds, Samaritan's Purse

9 Heart repair kit for stem cell research 40 pounds, British Heart oundation

10 Sea boots 36 pounds, RNLI (ANI)