The treatment reserved by the Miami Zoo to Paora the kiwi sparks a petition

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A video of a kiwi at a Florida zoo being petted and prepped for selfies has caused outrage online, with concerned New Zealanders launching a petition to “help save” the bird.

Visitors to the Miami Zoo pay $40 for a close encounter with Paora the brown kiwi, who according to one expert is “terrified” by the experience.

The Department of Conservation (DoC) said it would raise its concerns with the United States regarding the housing and management of the bird.

Paora was born at the zoo in April 2019, from an egg laid by a bird at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC

That zoo was the first to hatch a brown kiwi outside Aotearoa, in 1975.

Videos shared online show Paora being handled, petted and posed for selfies.

In one video, visitors are told that kiwis are usually kept in dark displays, and one clip shows the bird scurrying back into the dark as soon as a keeper puts it down.

A petition to “help save” the bird is circulating online, attracting 1500 signatures at the time of publication.

“Please help us change this little guy’s habitat or bring him home!” begs the petition.

DoC Director of Terrestrial Biodiversity Hilary Aikman said she would raise concerns with the United States over Paora’s management and welfare.

Aikman said 60 Kiwis live offshore and standards of care are not governed by the same body that protects Kiwis on our shores.

“In New Zealand, we have specific standards for the handling and care of kiwifruit, in the wild and in captivity,” Aikman said.

“Kiwis are a taonga species and are enjoyed by all New Zealanders. The protection and welfare of the kiwi is a top priority.”

The care of kiwifruit in America is governed by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) to which the Zoo and Aquarium Association, New Zealand’s governing body, grants accreditation if they have “clearly demonstrated their commitment to the welfare positive”.

“We thank those who brought this to our attention and will be raising these concerns with the Miami Zoo, through the AZA, to try to improve the housing and management situation,” Aikman said.

Robert Webb of the Native Bird Recovery Center in Whāngarei told al Herald who believed kiwis should only be in captivity if they couldn’t survive in the wild, but took particular exception to what he saw in the video.

“I don’t think that bird will last long,” she said, adding that Paora appeared to be distressed by her treatment.

“You’ll notice his eyes are closed most of the damn time they touch him. He’s terrified.

Webb, who has cared for hundreds of kiwis over the years, told al Herald that birds were extremely sensitive animals, saying that even the sound of paper being shredded “scares the shit out of them” and said Paora “won’t survive” if it continues to be handled in the manner seen in the videos.

Webb compared Paora’s treatment at the Miami Zoo to marine mammals at SeaWorld Florida.

“Animals are born to be free, not kept in cages. They’ll be hell-bent on it, and I’ll bet they’re making good money.”

Webb said the zoo’s approach was “totally wrong” and encouraged breeding animals just to “show off” and make money.

Many New Zealanders who watch the videos online agree, with a popular Reddit post suggesting that Paora was being “treated like a little dog.”

The way the bird was presented to visitors under the lights contrasted with the well-known ‘kiwi house’ in Aotearoa, with one user saying the stark contrast made them ‘feel a bit at unease”.

Aiden Gilbert, chair of the Uenuku Charitable Trust, told the Herald that, based on what they had seen in the videos, they did not support the Miami Zoo’s actions.

Gilbert said Uenuku had initially been involved in advising the zoo on kiwi care and two iwi representatives had traveled to the United States when Paora hatched, including the man for whom the bird is named, the environmentalist Paora Haitana.

The Miami Zoo and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) were contacted for comment.