US zoo’s treatment of kiwi bird ruffles diplomatic feathers

A US zoo has apologised to the entire nation of New Zealand after the mistreatment of a kiwi triggered a campaign to return the bird to its native country.

The diplomatic kerfuffle erupted after footage posted on social media showed visitors at Zoo Miami in Florida patting the nocturnal bird, called Pāora, under bright lights during a $25 “Kiwi Encounter” experience. The bird looked “visibly agitated”, according to the BBC, and “tried to retreat into darkness at times”.

The kiwi is “a taonga species – the native birds, plants and animals of special cultural significance and importance to native New Zealanders”, said News.com.au.

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As a treasured national icon, the kiwi inspired the nickname for human New Zealanders, who launched an online petition to “help save” the US zoo’s “mistreated” bird.

Pāora “has been tamed and is subjected to bright fluorescent lighting four days a week, being handled by dozens of strangers, petted on his sensitive whiskers, laughed at, and shown off like a toy”, said the petition, which has been signed by almost 13,000 people to date.

In response to the outcry, the zoo has ditched the Kiwi Encounter and apologised for making a “huge mistake”. Zoo Miami communications director Ron Magill told Radio New Zealand that “I immediately went to the zoo director, and I said, ‘We have offended a nation.’”

“I am so sorry. I am so remorseful. Someone asked how would you feel if we did that to your bald eagle, and you’re 100% right,” he said.

The apology was accepted by New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who said the row “shows a lot of Kiwis take pride in our national bird when they’re overseas”.