Due to inbreeding, and farmers' mistaken impression that they eat their livestock, numbers of Cheetahs in the wild have long been in serious decline. Sponsor or adopt a cheetah today here

Research suggests that since the 1970s the numbers of gorillas have decreased from 100,000 to 50,000. They have often been the target of poachers and have fallen victim to Ebola and the effects of deforestation. You can help preserve them by adopting or sponsoring a gorilla as a gift.

Giving a virtual gift such as a goat, a camel or a chicken on someone else's behalf has proved a real hit for those who want to give a meaningful gift. Now you can give a school place, or even a whole classroom, through the Save the Children Wish List.

One charity gift that is proving a huge hit is to give or buy someone an acre of rainforest. Green gifts are getting more and more popular, and saving an acre of rainforest is a creative and worthwhile present that will benefit the planet as well as the person you give it to. You can buy, and so save, an acre of rainforest quickly and easily online through the World Land Trust.