I think what upsets me most is that it's not a massive amount of money. Like, if it was a premium price, it would still suck, but at least they could justify it with it being such a rare thing. $24 is so cheap that lots of people can have the opportunity to mistreat our taonga. That poor wee bird, what a crappy life he must have had, being manhandled in bright light like that so frequently.
The fact a simple google search was clearly not had by any one individual involved is mind boggling. How can you claim to care for animals, house them on a profit, and not know the slightest details of which they should be cared!? It utterly s c r e a m s florida.
I can't speak to them specifically, but in a different situation a group I work with had a new species coming to them in a rescue operation (coatimundi). They had never handled this species before, but felt like they would be able to provide the best care available. As they communicated around with other wild animal sanctuaries, zoos, and others that may have knowledge, they found that there was quite little that anyone really knew about these so they've taken the scraps they could collect and are working on documenting their experiences to help if any others run into a similar situation in the future. I would expect that kiwi knowledge is extensive in NZ and that the Miami Zoo should have been able to learn, and hopefully they will do better now and going forward. Especially with any sort of animal encounter, because most of those are a bad idea and we're all better off just standing back and admiring from a distance. (Especially if it's a squirrel that looks friendly. :) )
I strongly suspect that they DID know and chose to mistreat this animal anyway. Like David said, it's a cash grab. Guess they didn't expect to get called out on it.
I think in that scenario the bald eagle would be petting you. And by petting I mean clawing the bejesus out of you while pecking furiously at your eyes. They're apex predators: big, angry, and pissed off a lot of the time. Unlike the poor old kiwi who, well, like most of us, just likes to forage. Oh yeah: sidenote. When I was a kid my mum and dad had a little poster up in the bathroom that said "A genuine Kiwi: eats roots and leaves." Which they thought was hilarious and which 10 or 11 year old me didnt understand until muuuuuuch later.
If I remember correctly, there was a book on grammar out around that time that included the words "eats roots and leaves" in the title. All about the comma placement ...
thanks for caring and taking this on. Personally I don't think any animals should be in Zoos, but the very least they can do is ensure the animals in their care are not abused and mistreated
If we didn't have zoos even more animals would be extinct. Captive breeding has been the only thing that has saved some species from extinction. But there are zoos and then, there are zoos ...
I grew up with a zoo who generally constrains the visiting humans so many of the animals (especially the biggest ones) have expanses they can explore, so it was a big shock to me the first time I went to one where much smaller cages/enclosures were used.
I grew up next to Chester Zoo, which by all accounts is not a "bad zoo" but then you grow up and learn how much territory and space to roam a lion in the wild gets, and suddenly the back garden sized enclosure the lions have at the zoo seems incredibly sad.
There is an exotic zoo in NC not far from where I live now that has drawn a lot of controversy. They have primates and some got frostbite a few years ago. They also have giraffes and other animals and it just isn't ethical.
It's these places and people that I see are a huge threat to animals, be it exotic or not. And I was like you and in shock when I went to a small zoo as a kid and saw animals in small cages. It just isn't right.
Ah...McDowell county...the first (and maybe only) county in NC where all of the justices opted out of issuing marriage licenses when same-sex marriage rules were enacted and judicial opt-outs were passed by the statehouse over a Republican governor's veto, requiring them to bring in a justice from outside the county on a regular basis for the legally required coverage and availability: https://equalitync.org/news/mcdowellcounty/
And yes, NC is one of the four states with little to no state-wide rules around exotic animals, so that your neighbor can have a tiger if they like (though not a bobcat, since those are native to NC) as long as it is not prohibited by a local government.
You're correct on all accounts. We had a tiger maul someone back in the late 90s. The guy bought it from a shop in my home town of Goldsboro. The shop was trying to capitalize on the air force base there and after the incident, closed it's doors.
I lived in Marion for a while and moved to Lake Lure. 120% republican town more concerned with keeping gay people from being happy rather than focus on a serverly growing meth epidemic. McDowell county has been renamed Methed Out County. There was also a guy off of Hwy 221 selling confederate flags and Trump flags in protest to the stay inside measures and mask rules established by Governor Cooper. But damnit, leave a camel out of it!
Noooo this poor wee kiwi, completely unacceptable. Why did we let them even be exported. And what is the Smithsonian doing giving eggs away to places without suitable enclosures set up? I’m worried for all the other ones they’ve given away now. Are you going to do any digging on that by any chance David? On the bright side, some legend folks in Wellington have just spent about 5 years making an absolutely huge area out the back of Wellington safe for kiwi reintroduction so yay for those kiwis.
This is what I was wondering too! Aren’t they endangered still? I don’t agree with sending animals off to zoos but wouldn’t it make sense to get their population levels healthier in NZ before just giving away our precious taonga to be treated so badly 😭
The selfies give Thailand abused tiger selfie vibes…
Apologies for nerding out here, but there are five species of kiwi and they vary in how endangered they are. Some have only a few hundred or thousand, others have tens of thousands. I think the 70K figure might be for all species of kiwi. I'm guessing poor Paora might be a North Island brown/ kiwi-nui.
I had to look them up... Kiwi-nui has been removed from the threatened list due to conservation efforts, it's officially "not threatened". Little spotted/ kiwi pukupuku is increasing too. Rakiura tokoeka is naturally uncommon, great spotted/ roroa is vulnerable, as are the two other types of tokoeka (not clear if they are separate species). And rowi is endangered.
I was fascinated to learn that Māori only called two species kiwi, the others actually have different names.
I must admit I had my doubts about this project, but having seen the effort they have put in, and the results they have had, I just absolutely admire what they have been able to achieve. https://www.capitalkiwi.co.nz/
I know right? When I first heard about I was sort of crikey how can that possibly work, but they seem to have done it! I guess the proof really will be whether they manage to increase their numbers and grow at a rate comparable to wherever else they could be.
Yes, it's pretty tough country up there in the west of Welly, marginal farming land I would call it, teeming with rabbits (but cleared of weasels and stoats now after a lot of hard work), but I'm picking that once young Kiwi get beyond that 1kg mark they will be pretty tenacious about sticking around. If it's anything like the Zealandia effect here in the western suburbs (resident Tui, Kereru, Kaka and Karearea as they radiate out from the sanctuary), then I'm looking forward to pockets of Kiwi on our doorstep in my lifetime, and am looking at how I can help that process.
I’ve only cried about a dozen times in my adult life. Reading this story was one of them. So despicable. My wife and I already have a “no visiting Florida” policy when we travel, and this solidifies it for many years to come.
I can just imagine the conversation between the social media guy and their boss. “Um, you know that idea we had to make a bit of cash out of that one bird with the long beak that doesn’t fly? So we seem to have offended the entire nation of New Zealand with that” “Say what now?” “Yep the Prime Minister will probably weigh in any minute. They say the bird needs his naps and they’re really quite exercised about it”.
Thank you and the good people of Zew Zealand to reach out and put an end to this mess. And I'm sorry our country just completely disregarded this poor birds habitat and life.
It's very concerning that the zoo has no knowledge or threw caution to the wind concerning a money grabbing photo op. It seems that maybe there should be a deeper probe into why they allowed this from the state of Florida and also just across the board.
We have a polar bear here in NC at the zoo and it makes me wonder if the staff has sufficient knowledge of the bear and how it lives. It seems that animas can and are treated more as a source of income rather than being respected for being a living creature.
Keep up the good work David. And the irony behind this and your new episode is insane.
The NC Zoo is decent. It's the largest natural habitat zoo in the world and they do good conservation work. Their polar bears were born in captivity and they're hoping the pair they have now will breed (didn't happen with the previous male).
I was just reading that now, I was at work but wanted to read up more on that. That is pretty crazy that we have that here in our neck of the woods with the NC Zoo. The only thing I saw was a bear conservation site saying that there have been questions regarding the breeding of the polar bears there, but the last polar bear they got was from Ohio if the sources are correct. Que in the Bear Episode on Flightless Bird haha.
I haven't ever been a fan of the zoo. I always felt horrible seeing these animals locked in cages and not being able to be free and in the wild. But I can get on board with the conservation work that the NC Zoo is doing. I think the NC aquarium does much the same. Maybe if they won't send home Paora, the NC Zoo can get him and give him a better home.
May 23, 2023·edited May 23, 2023Liked by David Farrier
Has anyone been through the nature discovery section at Te Papa? Damned depressing how many excellent birds are under threat or extinct. I really admire people who are taking big steps to protect our amazingly diverse bird-life in NZ. I have a wee fantasy where Jurassic Park tech is used to bring back Poukai/Haast's Eagle (the world's biggest ever eagle) and it preys upon tahr, wallabies, and people who litter.
Also, fun to see that the Pekapeka, a teeny tiny bat, has won bird of the year in New Zealand. Also, they have the skeleton of a anglerfish, almost 10 cm long. It's so small it's almost cute.
Go to the nature discovery section at Te Papa, get depressed, amused, and fantastical.
Poor little Paora, hope our bud gets an appropriate habitat soon. Also, “Kiwi bird” acts like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. Pelican bird? Flamingo bird? Eagle bird? No.
I volunteer for predator free NZ and it's a little disheartening when shit like this happens...it's bad enough when NZ public doesn't get it....but when an egg literally gets sent to a fucking zoo and they ballz it. FML.
Since I heard about this i was enraged. Thank your for doggedly chasing down the leads and getting the concerns across. I am always on the fence when it comes to zoo’s/aquariums. I love them but that is also not how animals are supposed to live. I try to only visit ones that i have researched and that have a firm foundation in rehabilitation and rescue. To find that one of my favourite birds, and my nickname-sake, was being exploited and harmed by those that are meant to protect it (when all it would have taken was a 1st grade attempt at a google search to learn about the Kiwi) it made me sad and angry in equal measures. How does a place like that get their money grubbing hands on such a precious creature (or any for that matter)? And how did they not build a habitat FOUR YEARS AGO?!?
I really hope they come back to you about the treatment of poor Paora, I was sick watching the video of "how funny" it was when the kiwi wanted to go into its little dark hutch. Poor thing
Isn’t learning about the animal you’re interacting with usually part of the encounter experience? What the fuck were they telling these people? And what kind of enclosure is Paora normally kept in? So many questions!
Thanks for for chasing this down and getting a result. Maybe we can all set reminders for ourselves to periodically check in on their progress with the new enclosure. If we all annoy the living crap out of them hopefully their response won’t just end up just being a platitude!
Yep got a similar letter from them after I emailed last night. But yeah, what is any supposedly reputable zoo doing caring for any animal and not understanding its needs from the get ho. Sheesh. Mind guys we need to do better at home. Had a Little Blue Penguin mauled by a dog here in Wellington last week. Found by another member of the public. Dog owners going to the beach and letting dogs run loose is a problem.
Ugh, zoos are so necessary today for conservation but it’s so wildly disappointing when they forget that their animals are living things and not display items meant to bring in cash. I loved my time working at the zoo in Seattle but I loved it because it was easy to see how much care is given to the animals.
Actually, Flightless Bird today reminded me of a horrifying Exotic Animal incident that occurred near where I grew up. Back in 2011, in Zanesville, Ohio a ‘farmer’ released 50 of 56 animals - lions, tigers, black bears, grizzly bears, monkeys, wolves, and leopards. He killed himself after opening the gates to let them roam. Apparently his hope was that they’d eat him? They didn’t, they just escaped into the town and law enforcement killed 48 of the 50. Honestly, it’s always felt like it’s own documentary waiting to happen. It was briefly spoken about in Tiger King, but it’s a huge part of why laws around exotic animals were introduced to the country in the first place. It’s always felt like an undiscussed mass murder to me.
My local group tried to rescue some of those but it was too dangerous to try and capture them. I hate that they were killed, but I can't fault the first responders - I put all of the blame there on the gentleman that released them all. As you note, the positive that came out of that were some increased protections and ensuring that those with such animals could properly care for them, and we can all help out by avoiding any support for places that are doing a poor job for their residents.
We’re locals aware of what he was ‘farming’? Having a bunch of wild animals caged up nearby would be so worrying. Thank you for trying to save some - though I can only imagine the state they were in after being kept by someone who wanted them to eat him...
Thanks for your persistence. I actually think they shouldn't have a Kiwi at all, but perhaps that just me.
Hard agree.
Me too! Ye Gods, poor wee bird.
that's
Heh. Spelling/grammar pedant. Just like me!!
How the hell did the zoo not know how to take care of one of its most unique animals until a bunch of people complained!?
I’m such a cynical person I just can’t stop thinking about all the other animals currently in zoos that are being mistreated.
I’m happy they are making things better but it’s worrisome that they did it in the first place.
Utterly cooked. Not all zoos are this cooked. Some more, some less.
In this case - all a cash grab.
But this whole thing is just so alarming .
I think what upsets me most is that it's not a massive amount of money. Like, if it was a premium price, it would still suck, but at least they could justify it with it being such a rare thing. $24 is so cheap that lots of people can have the opportunity to mistreat our taonga. That poor wee bird, what a crappy life he must have had, being manhandled in bright light like that so frequently.
Cheap and nasty. Hard agree.
Too bad there isn’t a World Wide Web of information that they could have used to research the kiwi bird 🙄
TOO BAD THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND THIS INFORMATION
The fact a simple google search was clearly not had by any one individual involved is mind boggling. How can you claim to care for animals, house them on a profit, and not know the slightest details of which they should be cared!? It utterly s c r e a m s florida.
I can't speak to them specifically, but in a different situation a group I work with had a new species coming to them in a rescue operation (coatimundi). They had never handled this species before, but felt like they would be able to provide the best care available. As they communicated around with other wild animal sanctuaries, zoos, and others that may have knowledge, they found that there was quite little that anyone really knew about these so they've taken the scraps they could collect and are working on documenting their experiences to help if any others run into a similar situation in the future. I would expect that kiwi knowledge is extensive in NZ and that the Miami Zoo should have been able to learn, and hopefully they will do better now and going forward. Especially with any sort of animal encounter, because most of those are a bad idea and we're all better off just standing back and admiring from a distance. (Especially if it's a squirrel that looks friendly. :) )
I strongly suspect that they DID know and chose to mistreat this animal anyway. Like David said, it's a cash grab. Guess they didn't expect to get called out on it.
Florida seems very into telling people how to live these days, so this tracks.
I think it only fair that Paora get one free peck at Ron DeSantis' eyes as a mea culpa. (The ceremony would happen at night, of course.)
Can you imagine the media hellstorm that would happen if we reversed this scenario and a zoo in New Zealand let you pet a Bald Eagle for $23.36?
(Also, $23.36? What kind of deranged price is that?!)
Hard agree. Good point.
I think in that scenario the bald eagle would be petting you. And by petting I mean clawing the bejesus out of you while pecking furiously at your eyes. They're apex predators: big, angry, and pissed off a lot of the time. Unlike the poor old kiwi who, well, like most of us, just likes to forage. Oh yeah: sidenote. When I was a kid my mum and dad had a little poster up in the bathroom that said "A genuine Kiwi: eats roots and leaves." Which they thought was hilarious and which 10 or 11 year old me didnt understand until muuuuuuch later.
Your mum and dad?? Genuine Kiwis of a particular vintage, lol! Or should I say, "in" a particular vintage.
It was the late 70's I guess?
If I remember correctly, there was a book on grammar out around that time that included the words "eats roots and leaves" in the title. All about the comma placement ...
Excellent point!!
thanks for caring and taking this on. Personally I don't think any animals should be in Zoos, but the very least they can do is ensure the animals in their care are not abused and mistreated
In a perfect world, no zoos. I am definitely not an expert on this, but *some* zoos are involved in amazing breeding and conservation programmes.
Which is great.
And some... are not.
And some... many.... are fucking terrible.
Perfect world, no zoos - as we would not need them for any reason: For our entertainment, or for conservation.
If we didn't have zoos even more animals would be extinct. Captive breeding has been the only thing that has saved some species from extinction. But there are zoos and then, there are zoos ...
probably true for some species, but then if conservation is what they care about - why are they keeping animals that are not in danger of extinction? https://www.freedomforanimals.org.uk/con-in-conservation
I totally agree with you Dennis. Seeing animals locked up in a cage seems horrific to me.
I grew up with a zoo who generally constrains the visiting humans so many of the animals (especially the biggest ones) have expanses they can explore, so it was a big shock to me the first time I went to one where much smaller cages/enclosures were used.
I grew up next to Chester Zoo, which by all accounts is not a "bad zoo" but then you grow up and learn how much territory and space to roam a lion in the wild gets, and suddenly the back garden sized enclosure the lions have at the zoo seems incredibly sad.
There is an exotic zoo in NC not far from where I live now that has drawn a lot of controversy. They have primates and some got frostbite a few years ago. They also have giraffes and other animals and it just isn't ethical.
Also, when I lived in the mountains, there was a camel named Zuli this guy had who used her to promote Trump. She passed away at some point, but I would stop and feed her apples and carrots. I felt bad for her because she was alone in the middle of a fenced in field, but was the sweetest lady ever. Here is a link. https://mcdowellnews.com/news/zuli-mcdowell-countys-favorite-camel-has-died/article_ed4074fc-672f-11eb-8796-abe2118a35b2.html
It's these places and people that I see are a huge threat to animals, be it exotic or not. And I was like you and in shock when I went to a small zoo as a kid and saw animals in small cages. It just isn't right.
Ah...McDowell county...the first (and maybe only) county in NC where all of the justices opted out of issuing marriage licenses when same-sex marriage rules were enacted and judicial opt-outs were passed by the statehouse over a Republican governor's veto, requiring them to bring in a justice from outside the county on a regular basis for the legally required coverage and availability: https://equalitync.org/news/mcdowellcounty/
And yes, NC is one of the four states with little to no state-wide rules around exotic animals, so that your neighbor can have a tiger if they like (though not a bobcat, since those are native to NC) as long as it is not prohibited by a local government.
And not just maul anyone, but a child
You're correct on all accounts. We had a tiger maul someone back in the late 90s. The guy bought it from a shop in my home town of Goldsboro. The shop was trying to capitalize on the air force base there and after the incident, closed it's doors.
https://www.wral.com/story/news/local/story/147287/
I lived in Marion for a while and moved to Lake Lure. 120% republican town more concerned with keeping gay people from being happy rather than focus on a serverly growing meth epidemic. McDowell county has been renamed Methed Out County. There was also a guy off of Hwy 221 selling confederate flags and Trump flags in protest to the stay inside measures and mask rules established by Governor Cooper. But damnit, leave a camel out of it!
I don't remember that one specifically, but there have been a number of situations like that across NC, including the pair of young tigers that were found on I-85 (probably abandoned when someone realized they couldn't handle them as pets - https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article249434985.html). Just two years ago there was a Zebra Cobra that escaped from a home in the Raleigh area - ultimately found by one of the reporters that was out giving an on-the-scene report that it had not yet been found. (Probably not a story David ever wants to be doing - he might try to pet it if it looks cute. :) ) https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/venom-spitting-snake-caught-day-after-escaping-in-raleigh-neighborhood/
Noooo this poor wee kiwi, completely unacceptable. Why did we let them even be exported. And what is the Smithsonian doing giving eggs away to places without suitable enclosures set up? I’m worried for all the other ones they’ve given away now. Are you going to do any digging on that by any chance David? On the bright side, some legend folks in Wellington have just spent about 5 years making an absolutely huge area out the back of Wellington safe for kiwi reintroduction so yay for those kiwis.
I do plan to dig. Thanks for raising these questions.
I feel this is the tip of some fucked up iceberg.
I will be starting with contacting the Smithsonian.
Excellent. Love your work as always.
This is what I was wondering too! Aren’t they endangered still? I don’t agree with sending animals off to zoos but wouldn’t it make sense to get their population levels healthier in NZ before just giving away our precious taonga to be treated so badly 😭
The selfies give Thailand abused tiger selfie vibes…
Paora should’ve been sent to Welly instead 💕
They’re now classed as vulnerable rather than endangered I think, thanks to conservation efforts.
Florida is probably the last place anything vulnerable should be sent to imo!!!
There's about 70,000 left according to news article on TV last night.
Apologies for nerding out here, but there are five species of kiwi and they vary in how endangered they are. Some have only a few hundred or thousand, others have tens of thousands. I think the 70K figure might be for all species of kiwi. I'm guessing poor Paora might be a North Island brown/ kiwi-nui.
Totally! I think 4 species are vulnerable and one some other class maybe..?
I had to look them up... Kiwi-nui has been removed from the threatened list due to conservation efforts, it's officially "not threatened". Little spotted/ kiwi pukupuku is increasing too. Rakiura tokoeka is naturally uncommon, great spotted/ roroa is vulnerable, as are the two other types of tokoeka (not clear if they are separate species). And rowi is endangered.
I was fascinated to learn that Māori only called two species kiwi, the others actually have different names.
I must admit I had my doubts about this project, but having seen the effort they have put in, and the results they have had, I just absolutely admire what they have been able to achieve. https://www.capitalkiwi.co.nz/
I know right? When I first heard about I was sort of crikey how can that possibly work, but they seem to have done it! I guess the proof really will be whether they manage to increase their numbers and grow at a rate comparable to wherever else they could be.
Yes, it's pretty tough country up there in the west of Welly, marginal farming land I would call it, teeming with rabbits (but cleared of weasels and stoats now after a lot of hard work), but I'm picking that once young Kiwi get beyond that 1kg mark they will be pretty tenacious about sticking around. If it's anything like the Zealandia effect here in the western suburbs (resident Tui, Kereru, Kaka and Karearea as they radiate out from the sanctuary), then I'm looking forward to pockets of Kiwi on our doorstep in my lifetime, and am looking at how I can help that process.
Yes it’s been amazing hey. Love the idea we might also get to coexist with kiwi.
I’ve only cried about a dozen times in my adult life. Reading this story was one of them. So despicable. My wife and I already have a “no visiting Florida” policy when we travel, and this solidifies it for many years to come.
Thanks for taking the time and emotional energy to read this, John. Appreciate your comment.
The state is so backwards and out of touch with reality for so many reasons. I won’t be supporting their economy for a long time.
They should know not to fuck with the country like this who hosts a bird of the year election.
I can just imagine the conversation between the social media guy and their boss. “Um, you know that idea we had to make a bit of cash out of that one bird with the long beak that doesn’t fly? So we seem to have offended the entire nation of New Zealand with that” “Say what now?” “Yep the Prime Minister will probably weigh in any minute. They say the bird needs his naps and they’re really quite exercised about it”.
Thank you and the good people of Zew Zealand to reach out and put an end to this mess. And I'm sorry our country just completely disregarded this poor birds habitat and life.
It's very concerning that the zoo has no knowledge or threw caution to the wind concerning a money grabbing photo op. It seems that maybe there should be a deeper probe into why they allowed this from the state of Florida and also just across the board.
We have a polar bear here in NC at the zoo and it makes me wonder if the staff has sufficient knowledge of the bear and how it lives. It seems that animas can and are treated more as a source of income rather than being respected for being a living creature.
Keep up the good work David. And the irony behind this and your new episode is insane.
The NC Zoo is decent. It's the largest natural habitat zoo in the world and they do good conservation work. Their polar bears were born in captivity and they're hoping the pair they have now will breed (didn't happen with the previous male).
I didn't know it was the largest natural habitat zoo in the world. Good to know
I was just reading that now, I was at work but wanted to read up more on that. That is pretty crazy that we have that here in our neck of the woods with the NC Zoo. The only thing I saw was a bear conservation site saying that there have been questions regarding the breeding of the polar bears there, but the last polar bear they got was from Ohio if the sources are correct. Que in the Bear Episode on Flightless Bird haha.
I haven't ever been a fan of the zoo. I always felt horrible seeing these animals locked in cages and not being able to be free and in the wild. But I can get on board with the conservation work that the NC Zoo is doing. I think the NC aquarium does much the same. Maybe if they won't send home Paora, the NC Zoo can get him and give him a better home.
Has anyone been through the nature discovery section at Te Papa? Damned depressing how many excellent birds are under threat or extinct. I really admire people who are taking big steps to protect our amazingly diverse bird-life in NZ. I have a wee fantasy where Jurassic Park tech is used to bring back Poukai/Haast's Eagle (the world's biggest ever eagle) and it preys upon tahr, wallabies, and people who litter.
Also, fun to see that the Pekapeka, a teeny tiny bat, has won bird of the year in New Zealand. Also, they have the skeleton of a anglerfish, almost 10 cm long. It's so small it's almost cute.
Go to the nature discovery section at Te Papa, get depressed, amused, and fantastical.
I love your conservation vision. Pouakai for the win. We need our top predator back.
Far too many of our native species are endangered, if we could have one doing the endangering, it would be a plus.
I just felt the need to share this with you - there's an endangered species really fighting back in this article. https://sammatey.substack.com/p/the-weekly-anthropocene-may-24-2023
that is very cool reading thank you.
Poor little Paora, hope our bud gets an appropriate habitat soon. Also, “Kiwi bird” acts like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. Pelican bird? Flamingo bird? Eagle bird? No.
They need to distinguish it from the kiwi fruit, which they just call "kiwi". It's super weird sounding from this side!
Tautoko! It's just kiwi
I volunteer for predator free NZ and it's a little disheartening when shit like this happens...it's bad enough when NZ public doesn't get it....but when an egg literally gets sent to a fucking zoo and they ballz it. FML.
Since I heard about this i was enraged. Thank your for doggedly chasing down the leads and getting the concerns across. I am always on the fence when it comes to zoo’s/aquariums. I love them but that is also not how animals are supposed to live. I try to only visit ones that i have researched and that have a firm foundation in rehabilitation and rescue. To find that one of my favourite birds, and my nickname-sake, was being exploited and harmed by those that are meant to protect it (when all it would have taken was a 1st grade attempt at a google search to learn about the Kiwi) it made me sad and angry in equal measures. How does a place like that get their money grubbing hands on such a precious creature (or any for that matter)? And how did they not build a habitat FOUR YEARS AGO?!?
I don't even want to think about how that kiwi's been kept for the last four years. I do want to chase this up. So many questions.
Well you have our support and if you find there is anything we can do, please let us know
I really hope they come back to you about the treatment of poor Paora, I was sick watching the video of "how funny" it was when the kiwi wanted to go into its little dark hutch. Poor thing
Isn’t learning about the animal you’re interacting with usually part of the encounter experience? What the fuck were they telling these people? And what kind of enclosure is Paora normally kept in? So many questions!
Thanks for for chasing this down and getting a result. Maybe we can all set reminders for ourselves to periodically check in on their progress with the new enclosure. If we all annoy the living crap out of them hopefully their response won’t just end up just being a platitude!
I will be chasing up with the Smithsonian to see what measures they take when they ship eggs out to the rest of the US.
I doubt any of those using the program really wanted to learn anything. They just wanted a photo for their social media pages.
This.
They will be the same people who ride elephants up temples in Cambodia and pose for pictures with leashed tigers in Thailand.
Yep got a similar letter from them after I emailed last night. But yeah, what is any supposedly reputable zoo doing caring for any animal and not understanding its needs from the get ho. Sheesh. Mind guys we need to do better at home. Had a Little Blue Penguin mauled by a dog here in Wellington last week. Found by another member of the public. Dog owners going to the beach and letting dogs run loose is a problem.
Should clarify that. Some beaches have a leash off area. And only some dog owners let some dogs off in areas they shouldn't.
Ugh, zoos are so necessary today for conservation but it’s so wildly disappointing when they forget that their animals are living things and not display items meant to bring in cash. I loved my time working at the zoo in Seattle but I loved it because it was easy to see how much care is given to the animals.
Actually, Flightless Bird today reminded me of a horrifying Exotic Animal incident that occurred near where I grew up. Back in 2011, in Zanesville, Ohio a ‘farmer’ released 50 of 56 animals - lions, tigers, black bears, grizzly bears, monkeys, wolves, and leopards. He killed himself after opening the gates to let them roam. Apparently his hope was that they’d eat him? They didn’t, they just escaped into the town and law enforcement killed 48 of the 50. Honestly, it’s always felt like it’s own documentary waiting to happen. It was briefly spoken about in Tiger King, but it’s a huge part of why laws around exotic animals were introduced to the country in the first place. It’s always felt like an undiscussed mass murder to me.
Okay, holy shit, I need to know more about this.
Of course GQ - which does some amazing writing - covers it off here for anyone interested (I will be reading this tonight: https://www.gq.com/story/terry-thompson-ohio-zoo-massacre-chris-heath-gq-february-2012)
My local group tried to rescue some of those but it was too dangerous to try and capture them. I hate that they were killed, but I can't fault the first responders - I put all of the blame there on the gentleman that released them all. As you note, the positive that came out of that were some increased protections and ensuring that those with such animals could properly care for them, and we can all help out by avoiding any support for places that are doing a poor job for their residents.
We’re locals aware of what he was ‘farming’? Having a bunch of wild animals caged up nearby would be so worrying. Thank you for trying to save some - though I can only imagine the state they were in after being kept by someone who wanted them to eat him...
Technically it was a private zoo so I would assume the neighbors were aware of that. I know nothing of it first-hand, but you can see more about it here and further links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Zanesville,_Ohio_animal_escape
*were
What? That is bonkers - agree it’s a doco waiting to happen.