Miami zoo to stop handling Paora the kiwi immediately, or ambassador will quit

• A zoo in Miami has halted its “kiwi encounter” after outrage over Paora the kiwi’s treatment.
• Visitors have paid US$25 to handle Paora under bright strip lights for 10-15 minutes, four times a week since 2020.
• Zoo Miami has apologised, and says a new kiwi enclosure is being planned.

Zoo Miami has said it will stop its controversial “kiwi encounter” – or its ambassador will quit.

Concerns were raised by DOC and others in Aotearoa’s conservation community on Tuesday after social media videos showed the native New Zealand bird, named Paora, being displayed to guests of the Florida zoo under bright strip lighting. Visitors are shown handling the kiwi – giving it head scratches as it sits on a table.

On Wednesday morning zoo goodwill ambassador Ron Magill apologised and said the encounter had been cancelled. A new enclosure is also planned.

“I felt sorrow, heartfelt sorrow for what occurred and a profound urge to apologise to the people of New Zealand,” said Magill, who has worked at Zoo Miami for 40 years.

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“We have offended the nation of New Zealand.”

Magill said normally a decision to make a change regarding zoo operations would take time while consultation was done – but in this case, there was no time for the usual “bureaucratic garbage”.

Some people at the zoo didn’t understand the symbolism behind the bird, and its connection to Māori, he said.

When asked if he was confident that the rest of Paora’s care plan outside the “kiwi encounter” was up to scratch, Magill said he was confident that if it wasn’t, it would soon be.

If it doesn’t get done, Magill said: “I won’t be working here.”

The “kiwi encounter” Paora was involved in happened four times a week since 2020, for roughly 10-15 minutes, he said

Magill said had the shoe been on the other foot with a US animal being mistreated, the American reaction would potentially be “catastophic” – but that the New Zealanders who contacted them were for the most part, very civil.

Paora has been kept in a habitat away from the public view since he was hatched at the zoo and was only brought out for encounters with visitors.

His habitat is a 10 foot (3 metre) room indoors with a dark hutch where he can stay during the day, Magill said, and come out at night to forage through the enrichment items the keepers leave.

A new enclosure has been in planning for some months, which will look much like the New Zealand ones, with red nocturnal lights, he said.

In a statement, Magill also said the zoo regrets the unintentional stress caused by a video on social media depicting the handling of Paora.

The zoo has also decided only to bring the kiwi out of its dark hutch during cleaning – when he will be transferred temporarily to another dark hutch.

“He is being kept in a quiet isolated area where he can retreat into the dark hutch during the day and have the freedom to come out and explore his habitat during the evening.”

Magill said the bird is currently doing well and in excellent health.

Paora became the first kiwi to hatch in Miami in 2019 after fertilised kiwi egg was sent to Miami by the Smithsonian in 2019. In 1975, the Smithsonian became the first institution to successfully breed kiwi in captivity outside of New Zealand.

DOC director of terrestrial biodiversity Hilary Aikman said they welcomed the decision by Zoo Miami to provide appropriate care of Paora.

Along with the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA), DOC said they would share their expertise and high standards for the respectful care of kiwi, with the zoo.

“We appreciate New Zealanders for raising their concerns.

“Kiwi numbers are still declining nationally as most populations are unprotected from predators.”

The bird was named in honour of iwi leader, environmental advocate and hands-on conservationist Paora “Baldy” Haitana. He is the only kiwi at Miami Zoo.

Save the Kiwi executive director Michelle Impey said the outcome for Paora was perfect and the apology from the zoo seemed genuine and appropriate.

The zoo had been exposing the kiwi to everything that would go against is nature, Impey said.

”Undoubtedly, the bird was under stress.”

It was absolutely correct of the NZ public to call out the kiwi’s treatment, she said, but she disagrees with people wanting to bring Paora home.

”You see something that is not right, you bring attention to it and they correct it.

”I would love to see that strong a passion on the ground for kiwi here in New Zealand.”

Simon Hall, who owns a wilderness block where more than 100 of kiwi have been successfully reintroduced into the wilderness, said the handling of kiwis by zoo guests “doesn’t seem quite right”.

“That sort of thing is not really encouraged here.”

The behaviour wouldn’t be allowed in Aotearoa.

The cost of the experience was US$25 (NZ$39).