“Though Paora has thrived at Zoo Miami while receiving the best care available, the development of the Kiwi Encounter was, in hindsight, not well conceived with regard to the national symbolism of this iconic animal and what it represents to the people of New Zealand, especially the Maori,” the statement said.
An online petition was started after a video posted on Twitter Monday showed the flightless, nocturnal bird being handled by visitors and kept awake by artificial lighting. The online outcry got the attention of New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, which promised to reach out to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to express concerns about Paora’s housing.
Paora is normally kept out of public view in a quiet area with a shelter that allows him to remain in relative darkness, Zoo Miami officials said. The zoo is planning to build a special habitat that will allow guests to learn about kiwi birds without any direct contact.
Wildlife photographer Holly Neill, who posted a video showing clips of the encounters, said it was “appalling” to see a kiwi bird treated this way.
“It’s being kept awake during the day despite being a nocturnal species,” she wrote. “When it runs to hide in a dark box, they open the lid.”
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May 27, 2023 at 08:56PM
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Miami zoo apologizes for treatment of threatened kiwi bird - Wink News
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