US zoo allows visitors to pet kiwi bird, apologizes after outrage in New Zealand

A zoo in the United States has apologized after a video showing visitors petting the kiwi under bright lights sparked outrage in New Zealand, where it is the national bird. The Miami Zoo said it was “deeply sorry” about the incident, according to the BBC. Some clips posted on social media showed a flightless bird being handled by visitors and kept awake by artificial lighting. The bird seen in the video is Paora, which was born at the Miami Zoo in 2019 as part of a breeding program aimed at ensuring the survival of the kiwi species, the outlet also said.

One of the videos has been posted by Holly Neill, a wildlife photographer. She said in her tweet that it was “appalling” to see a Kiwi treated in this way.

“It stays awake during the day despite being a nocturnal species. When he runs to hide in a dark box, they open the lid,” Neill said in the tweet.

The treatment of this poor kiwi at the Miami Zoo is terrible. I am so angry about this. It is kept awake during the day despite being a nocturnal species. When he runs to hide in a dark box, they open the lid. It’s so upsetting to see taonga treated like this. pic.twitter.com/IDuq4gNN0c

— Holly (@HollyNeillNZ) May 22, 2023

“For $23.36 USD, Zoo Miami will allow you to disturb an endangered nocturnal kiwi by forcing it into artificial lighting and allowing you to touch it. I am very upset for the well-being of this kiwi,” she added.

Cases like these sparked protests in New Zealand, where the number of these birds has dropped from 12 million to just 68,000, according to the charity Save the Kiwi.

An online petition was also launched at change.org to “Help save this battered kiwi.” So far it has collected more than 13,000 signatures.

“He has been domesticated and is subjected to bright fluorescent lights 4 days a week, handled by dozens of strangers, petting his sensitive whiskers, laughing at him and showing him off like a toy,” the petition reads.

“Kiwis are nocturnal animals, which should be kept in suitable dark enclosures and handled minimally. The best practice manual for kiwis states that they should not be frequently handled or taken out of their burrows for the public to hold,” he adds. saying.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins thanked Zoo Miami for taking public concerns seriously.

“They have recognized that what they were doing was not appropriate, or it was not right, or it was not fair to the Kiwi,” he told a news conference.

The zoo has admitted that what happened was wrong and its spokesman said the practice of letting visitors touch the kiwi has been discontinued.