#zoo miami kiwi

[midmorningsong]

So this morning a staffmate told me about the recent Miami Zoo Kiwi incident that’s come to light, and I’ve been fucking livid all day.

Just been reading through a bunch of articles (majority NZ news sources) and the Zoo’s official statement, and somehow it’s even worse than what my irate coworker was able to convey to me. Miami Zoo had the absolute fucking privilege of receiving a (North Isl. Brown (?)) kiwi egg to hatch and raise as a species you would never normally see outside our little island at the bottom of the world as part of a some global zoo wildlife initiative.

Brief brief summary: viral videos coming out of this kiwi (Paora) being put on a table and patted by paying customers under bright lights, having selfies taken, made to run around during the day, keeper pursuing him whenever he tried to hide in his box. All around blasé attitude from keeper talking about this bird while he’s being paraded about on display. There’s video footage but I could seriously only stomach watching it once. He’s been there for 4 years and in the wake of this outrage they’re claiming to be building him a ‘proper enclosure’ now. He’s been handled like this at least 4 times a week and his current enclosure has been 3x3m.

They had access to super fucking detailed information on how to take care of this very sensitive and specialized animal, and what the fuck do they do? Disregard ALL of it to sell cutesy, ~rare bird~, self-obsessed animal encounters.

Either you knowingly and intentionally went against SO. MUCH. vital animal husbandry or you are just such a fuckwit you legitimately think it was good animal handling, I don’t know which is worse honestly. If it’s the former, congratulations; American Capitalism continues to be the most nasty, disrespectful piece of shit I see regularly parading about in broad daylight. If it’s the latter, then are your staff for real just exotic pet-obsessed freaks who showed up one day in a uniform and you just went ‘yeah sure you can be a zookeeper good enough’. Shoutout to that ‘keeper’ who had Paora’s head pinned to the fucking table with his fist going ‘hohoh yeah he’s just like a dog he loves being pat on the head’ yeah sure thing idiot I bet your zookeeper degree taught you all animals and birds especially just love being slapped around and treated like dogs.

The thing that’s got me the most though, is how over the top and pitiful they are being in their apology; “we’ve offended a nation...”, “it should have never happened”, “we are so sorry this video has caused stress to people”, ok yeah but fuck what we think why is there exactly ZERO mention of the stress, harm and sheer exploitation you have put this animal through??? Like yes, Paora is a taonga species and that is certainly adding to the severity of this response, but in and of itself the fact that their official statement answers ONLY to humans’ responses and outrage and not the failure to care for this animal is telling as fuck to me.

I really liked reading iwi leader Paora Haitana’s response (who Paora the kiwi is named after), in much nicer words than me expressing deep concern over the harm to Paora, the disrespect it is to him as a taonga species and us as protectors of them, and also heavy, heavy emphasis on words holding no shape under the weight of everything that has happened; they need to follow through and follow through right now with adequate care.

Personally I’d like to see Paora moved to a zoo that actually cares about his needs and conservation education over selling clickbait. I feel the love and intention of bringing him home to Aotearoa, though I don’t know how realistic that is with the risk of introducing diseases from abroad into the NZ populations. I also would expect a thorough investigation of Zoo Miami’s husbandry for all their species and the credentials of their staff.

Thanks for coming along to rant o’ clock, I’ll be back to reblogging regular fandom shit now so please don’t follow me if you’re expecting more of my own content lol. Enjoy some great twitter banter from this mess

[brookezilla]

Not fandom related but the Miami Zoo currently has one of my country’s national birds which they’re MISTREATING.

We’d like it back now luv x

If it was a bald eagle, y’all would be rioting in the streets.

[yeltsinsstar]

DOC to raise concerns with Miami Zoo over treatment of kiwi

How this American zoo is treating this poor kiwi is disgusting. The bird is clearly stressed, probably because kiwi are nocturnal and they have it in a brightly lit room that is basically a fucking petting zoo.

[kermit-the-hag]

Zoo Miami can shove their pathetic apologies up their money hungry, capitalist arses. Send the poor baby home.

If they cannot respect taonga, then they shouldn’t have it at all. This is peak coloniser behaviour, thinking they are entitled to something sacred and then mistreating it.

Fuck them and fuck everyone who has done the Kiwi experience.

ANY ANIMAL ACTIVISTS WHO KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING AND DIDNT CARE - YOU CAN ROT IN THE PITS OF HELL

[onebadlich]

I contacted Zoo Miami via their website expressing my concern, and I just received the following response indicating they've stopped the Kiwi Encounter program. Not a great apology IMHO, but the important thing is they're taking action.

"First and foremost, on behalf of everyone at Zoo Miami, please accept our most profound and sincere apology for the stress initiated by a video on social media depicting the handling and housing of “Paora,” the kiwi bird that is presently under our care. The concerns expressed by have been taken very seriously and as a result, effective immediately, the Kiwi Encounter will no longer be offered.

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. Having had the honor of hosting the Honorable New Zealand Ambassador to the United States and several representatives of the Maori people during a special naming ceremony here at Zoo Miami, it is especially painful to all of us to think that anything that has occurred with Paora here at Zoo Miami would be offensive to any of the wonderful people of New Zealand. Again, we are deeply sorry.

Please know that Paora is normally kept out of public view in a quiet area. This area provides him with a special shelter that enables him to remain in relative darkness during the day so that he can, at his discretion, come out and explore his habitat in the quiet of the evening. Plans are presently underway to build a special habitat for him that will continue to provide him with the shelter that he needs while respecting and supporting his natural instincts. It will be developed in such a way that we can teach our guests about the amazing kiwi without any direct contact from the public.

Zoo Miami feels extremely privileged to be the first facility in the state of Florida to successfully hatch a kiwi as part of a partnership with the Smithsonian National Zoo. We are happy to have watched him grow and thrive under our care and are committed to providing him with the best environment possible while respecting and honoring all that he represents.

Thank you for expressing your concern, love and passion for this remarkable bird. We are listening and will do better to provide it with the respect and committed care that it so richly deserves and sincerely regret any actions that may have indicated otherwise."

Hey uh I just found this out and I'm FURIOUS but miami zoo has a kiwi bird. Which is fine if they were doing what we do here and keeping it in a darkened enclosure with clear notices to be quiet and not bang on the glass. But instead this shy, solitary nocturnal bird is being kept in broad daylight and people are being allowed to pet it. NZ twitter is out for blood right now. https://twitter.com/zoomiami/status/1637864741954637824

…fucking yikes.

The kiwi I’ve seen in other AZA zoos have been kept according to the practices you describe: dark exhibit on a flipped light cycle, in a signed quiet area. What it looks like Zoo Miami is doing is… not good.

Here’s the link to their tweet with a video about the encounter (so it’ll embed):

The video shows a kiwi out of its exhibit: on a table in what looks like a back room with bright overhead fluorescent lighting. The kiwi has no room to move around and no place to hide as people pet it and reach around it to take selfies.

What do you pay to bother the kiwi four days a week - a species which in NZ is apparently illegal to touch without permission from the Department of Conservation? $25.

Obviously it just started and I don’t know anything more about it than what’s online, but even so, this is such a bad look for an AZA zoo, holy shit. I know a bunch of new ambassador animal rules just got promulgated… I wonder if this meets them. I’ll have to go do some reading. Also, USDA is now promulgating new bird rules (it didn’t regulate birds until just recently, only mammals) so this will also have to pass their muster soon.

The guy who runs Miami’s PR, and manages the animal media like the birth of their first kiwi chick in 2019, is known for big media stunts. I’m not surprised by this but I don’t think it’s going to go over well. There’s a lot of pressure on zoos to offer new encounters and programs to help make up for inflation and pandemic losses but this not how to do it.

I’d honestly suggest New Zealanders who are upset about this contact Zoo Miami formally (more than just on twitter) using the contact form on their website, and maybe even the AZA to express concerns about this program animal’s welfare - as well as the lack of cultural awareness at one of their accredited facilities.

Edited to add: a statement from Zoo Miami is supposed to be forthcoming tomorrow. I’ll update once we have it.

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

What’s your thoughts about the recent news about the kiwi encounters at Miami zoo?

I don’t have enough knowledge on kiwi husbandry to tell you anything others haven’t already said. All I can say is “of course it’s Florida” really.

[justmaghookit]

crossposting from my twitter because i am big mad

As your resident Bird Enthusiast I would like to publicly express my outrage and disgust at the treatment of the Kiwi Paora by the Miami Zoo. This endangered animal is not a prop, it is a cultural treasure of the Māori and should be treated with respect.

I of course cannot speak for the Māori people of Aotearoa. But I know animal mistreatment when I see it, no nocturnal animal should ever be dragged out into the daylight or under bright artificial light to be manhandled by the public

Animal experiences with ambassador animals are important to conservation and education, but there are other species far better suited to it than the Kiwi.

I ask my American friends and mutuals to make as much of a noise about this as it deserves. Let our Māori friends know they are not alone in their outrage, and let the Miami Zoo know your disgust at their behavior. Paora deserves better.

[glitchbirds]

i think it Is still important to note that even aza zoos can make mistakes or have substandard care (usually due to a lack of funds, resources, and/or staff, but other misteps can happen- like the "kiwi encounter" at miami zoo last year) and that accreditation- and lack thereof- is v useful as a baseline but doesnt necessarily tell you the whole story. "only go to AZA zoos" is like "adopt dont shop" where its a good base to work from if you know absolutely nothing about welfare issues to look out for and it will usually still get you what youre looking for (a good zoo that treats its animals well, a dog or cat that suits you), but if you have more of an interest in these things or specific requirements/needs in mind, the situation is always much more complex than that

a non-accredited zoo may be actively pursing accreditation and only be a few subtle changes away from achieving it (or already on the docket for review this year); an AZA zoo may be lacking in multiple areas on their 5-year review that theyre required to make efforts to improve on before a set deadline if they don't want to lose accreditation. none of this to say 'zoos ARE bad actually' obv but i think its important to not treat AZA zoos as a monolith of perfect welfare standards (iirc only 5 facilities have ever gotten a perfect score on AZAs accreditation review, theres always new policies coming in or something that needs to be improved on), because then little things Can slip under the radar because ppl dont want to draw attention to them and be lumped in w/ anti-zoo ARAs; + i fully believe that non-AZA zoos that are actively trying their best deserve support too esp since the biggest barrier to accreditation is money, and by broadly refusing to even visit them you kind of just doom them (and the animals!) to never receiving AZA support, increasingly run-down conditions, etc

[1995lahaine]

the nation of aotearoa new zealand is currently ratioing zoo miami on twitter for abusing kiwi

[charmsandtealeaves]

Just seen a video of a kiwi being housed at Miami Zoo and I want to SCREAM.

WTF! They clearly do not know how to handle this precious bird. They are nocturnal and sensitive creatures.

They are not lap dogs to be patted under fluorescent lights! Especially not their whiskers!!

🤬

Why there are kiwi overseas in the first place is a whole other argument but FFS….

[brookezilla]

GUYS MIAMI ZOO IS STOPPING THEIR KIWI PROGRAMME!!

All it takes is angering 4 million New Zealanders, you don’t know rage until you mess with our national bird.

But they also didn’t acknowledge that this was literal ill treatment??? YOU DONT PUT A SHY NOCTURNAL BIRD IN A PETTING ZOO

This is the cutie, called Paora — he has a hyper sensitive beak and whiskers so shouldn’t be handled.

[yeltsinsstar]

Call for NZ experts to help care for Paora the kiwi after US zoo sparks ...

Zoo Miami fucked around and found out. They mistreated an endangered bird, a kiwi, a taonga of Aotearoa New Zealand, entrusted into their care, thus enraging an entire nation. Their apology doesn’t sound sincere, they did not take Paora’s welfare seriously, nor do they seem capable of doing so. This zoo needs to be investigated to see what other abuses are occurring there.

[haunt-i-ng]

there was recently a video that got posted on tiktok of a kiwi at miami zoo (which is already fucking weird) being petted and touched under bright lights with no regard for the kiwis comfort or the fact that kiwis are nocturnal animals?!?! there are multiple videos of the miami kiwi (named Paora) where people are touching it and handling it under bright light in a shitty room with no bush or any plant life at all. kiwi are taonga and they should be treated as such, it’s so horrible seeing such an important animal get mistreated by a foreign zoo (still have no idea why a kiwi was shipped off to florida of all places???) where they have even less of a reason to care about indigenous life, Mātauranga Māori and tikanga.

[pokemonshelterstories]

//first off i want to say that it's absolutely rancid that people are turning this situation into an opportunity to be racist. the facilities at khao kheow zoo honestly look really nice. feeding animals is a pretty common opportunity at zoos, and as long as it's done appropriately and safely there's also nothing wrong with that.

that being said, i think there's way too many black/white statements being made about this zoo. as with many zoos, there can be things that are good and things that aren't so great. there's really no zoo environment in which an animal needs to be touched/sprayed with water/any of the variety of things done to moo deng as a form of "desensitization." research into animal training shows time and time again that positive reinforcement is a much better form of training than bothering an animal until it realizes that reacting won't stop whatever's happening to it from happening. that's how you initiate cooperative care in an animal. it's effective enough that the gorillas at the zoo i volunteer at will voluntarily undergo blood draws without sedation. there's no reason to annoy a zoo animal, especially as its keeper.

yes, the zoo is WAZA accredited. and the AZA is a fantastic organization! but AZA zoos aren't infallible. it wasn't that long ago that zoo miami, another accredited facility, was tremendously criticized for inappropriate handling of a kiwi bird named paora. and with good reason! paora should never have been brought out as an animal encounter opportunity. moo deng is extremely popular, and i get why- she's adorable- but zoos absolutely can make poor handling decisions, especially with animals that attract a lot of public attention.

i don't think the zoo is bad at all. everything i've seen shows that it's got some really awesome stuff going on. and i don't think that this is the worst offense that a zoo can make. but zoos are constantly in a precarious position of defending themselves to maintain funding and prevent issues from places like animal rights organizations, and we have to be willing to criticize improper handling in any form. we don't need another flaco situation on our hands.

found ANOTHER way more in-dept thread about Khao Kheow zoo to share. once again I'm obligated to put it here

my other post about this

full screenshot here I also posted this reddit thread on my other post linked above

TL;DR: Please don't trust random (may I add racist?) foreigners on the internet over locals who actually knows what they're talking about. thank you 🙇‍♂️

[qupritsuvwix]

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/us-zoo-ends-kiwi-petting-experience-after-outcry-from-new-zealanders/p

[delectablywaywardbeard-blog]

Il kiwi maltrattato dello zoo di Miami diventa un caso diplomatico tra Usa e Nuova Zelanda

“Abbiamo commesso un enorme errore”, ha dichiarato Ron Magill, portavoce dello zoo di Miami dove un esemplare di kiwi è stato maltrattato, sollevando numerose critiche nel Paese e all’estero. Soprattutto in Nuova Zelanda, che ha preso la questione sul personale. Il kiwi, infatti, è l’uccello simbolo della Nuova Zelanda che ha lanciato una campagna per riportare a casa il volatile e ha intimato lo…