The Southeastern United States Zoo on Tuesday issued a public apology after allowing visitors to pet a kiwi named Paura under bright light, despite the long, slender-beaked bird being a shy, nocturnal animal.
The zoo has promised to build a “special habitat” for Baura that would allow visitors to experience the bird without touching it.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hepkins said on Wednesday that “the zoo has taken immediate action to address the concerns raised”.
He added that his officials “realized that what they were doing was not good enough, or fair to the Kiwi”, and thanked them for taking this matter “seriously”.
The Miami Zoo kiwi is one of 60 birds of this species living outside New Zealand, reports NY Times , according to the department concerned with the protection of the natural and historical heritage of this Pacific country.
There were only 70,000 wild kiwis left in New Zealand, which was home to millions of these birds before the arrival of the Polynesians in the 13th century and then the Europeans.
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