New Zealand
Zoo Miami swipes a kiwi’s fate
The park, located in Florida, organized a birding session for $25. Wellington objected to handling a nocturnal and fearsome beast.
Published
There are only 70,000 kiwis (the model with the transmitter here) left in the wild in New Zealand territory.
AFP
New Zealand’s prime minister on Wednesday added his voice to the many angry compatriots at Zoo Miami at the fate of their country’s iconic bird, the kiwi. A nocturnal and shy animal, the animal park in Florida, in the southeastern United States, issued a public apology on Tuesday.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Wednesday that “the zoo has taken immediate action to address the concerns raised”. Its officials “realized what they were doing was inadequate, unfair or not right for Kiwis”, he added, thanking them for taking the issue “seriously”.
Sixty Kiwis outside New Zealand
The Miami zoo kiwi is one of only 60 individuals of its species living outside New Zealand, according to the Department of Conservation, which is responsible for protecting the natural and historical heritage of this Pacific country. Only 70,000 kiwis live in the wild on New Zealand territory, down from millions before the arrival of Polynesians in the 13th century and then Europeans.
The Department of Conservation said it was contacting the zoo to “share our expertise” on appropriate treatments for captive kiwis. The latter, for its part, promised to create “a special habitat” for Paora, which would allow visitors to discover this bird without interacting with it.
(AFP)
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