Paora

Last updated

Paora
Paora 2458.jpg
Paora having a snack
Species Brown kiwi [1]
SexMale
Born9 April 2019
Zoo Miami, Florida
Known forBeing mistreated
Residence Zoo Miami
Named afterPaora Haitana

Paora (hatched 9 April 2019) is a brown kiwi that was the first kiwi to be born in Florida. He resides at Zoo Miami and gained widespread attention in May 2023 after social media videos showing him being mistreated went 'viral'. The videos showed Paora being stroked by the public as part of a kiwi encounter programme, near loud noises, away from plantlife, and under bright sunlight or lights, despite kiwi being nocturnal birds. One video showed what Newshub described as the zoo appearing to use Paora's "need for darkness as a gimmick." It showed Paora, in daylight, running to his box; then, the zookeeper opened the door to expose him to light again, saying, "He'll stand there until it gets dark before he goes in the box and then you wait like five seconds and like magic he'll be ... so he wants to be in the dark and go back to sleep".

Contents

After the videos received widespread attention, Zoo Miami apologised and immediately stopped offering the kiwi encounters. The zoo said that Paora is normally kept in quietness and "relative darkness" during the day, out of the public view. After the incident, the zoo started building a new habitat for Paora, which has been authorised by the Department of Conservation and the charity Save the Kiwi.

Life

Before Paora was hatched, his fertilised egg was transferred to Zoo Miami in March 2019 as part of a loan with the Smithsonian Institute, and with the support of the New Zealand government. [2] [3] (His parents were given to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.) [3] He hatched on 9 April 2019, becoming the first kiwi to hatch in Florida. [2] [3] In November 2019 Paora had a blessing and naming ceremony, where he was given the name Paora, after conservationist and iwi (tribe) leader Paora Haitana. The ceremony was attended by New Zealand Ambassador to the United States, Rosemary Banks. Shortly afterwards, Stuff described Paora as having a "celebrity status". [3]

Paora remains under the ownership of New Zealand and the Māori, and cannot travel to New Zealand due to biosecurity risks. [3]

Mistreatment

In May 2023, social media footage of Paora being mistreated at the zoo went 'viral'. [4] These videos were showing public kiwi encounters that were advertised on the zoo's website and social media, for four times a week at 12.30 pm, at a cost of about US$25 (NZ$34–36). [5] [6] [7] One video showed visitors stroking Paora on his back and neck, with the caption "he literally was like a little puppy", [5] and other videos showed Paora being posed for selfies. [1] A zookeeper in one video said, "He loves being pet, he's like a little dog and he loves his head being pet". [8] Zookeepers were also shown "pushing Paora's head to the tabletop [and] scratching his whiskers". [9]

The videos showed Paora in areas with loud noises, [10] no plant life, [8] and in daylight or under bright artificial lights, despite being a nocturnal bird. [5] [10] Newshub wrote that zookeepeers in videos appeared to be "using his need for darkness as a gimmick". [9] In one video Paora, in daylight, ran to his box, and then the zookeeper opened the door to expose him to light again, [6] [8] saying, "He'll stand there until it gets dark before he goes in the box and then you wait like five seconds and like magic he'll be ... so he wants to be in the dark and go back to sleep". [8]

The Department of Conservation's Kiwi Best Practice Manual says that kiwi should not be "regularly taken out of their burrows just for the purposes of allowing people to see and touch them." [6] The manual says that kiwi already being held for another purpose such as rehabilitation, relocation, or health assessment, may be pat gently on the back by the public. But the public must not touch the kiwi's head, which is what was seen in the online videos. [11] Handling kiwi in New Zealand is "strict[ly]" regulated, with "strict certification" being required to handle kiwi. However, these regulations do not apply to Paora because he was hatched in the United States. [10]

Response

To videos

After the online videos received widespread attention, the zoo experienced backlash from the public. [12] This included complaints, [13] an email campaign directed at the zoo, [4] and the creation of several petitions to 'save Paora', [12] with one gathering almost 12 thousand signatures. [14]

Bird conservationist Robert Webb said that Paora having his eyes closed in the videos of him being patted was a sign of being "terrified". [4] Due to the stress caused to Paora, Webb said that he "wouldn't mind betting in six months he'll be dead". [9] Natalie Jessup, the general manager of Endangered Species Foundation, said that "the footage was quite shocking". [9] Kiwi conservationist Simon Hall said that the public being able to touch Paora "doesn’t seem quite right". [15] The Department of Conservation discussed the issue with the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums. [10] [7]

From Zoo Miami

Zoo Miami apologised on 23 May 2023, saying that Paora is normally kept in quietness and "relative darkness" during the day, out of the public view. The kiwi encounters were immediately discontinued (within 24 hours of the video going 'viral' [4] ) and the zoo said that they will build a new habitat for Paora "while respecting and supporting his natural instincts", to be used to educate the public about kiwi, but without visitors handling kiwi. [12] [10] [16]

Zoo Miami goodwill ambassador Ron Magill apologised, saying that "We have offended the nation of New Zealand". [15] When Magill saw the videos, he told zoo's director that "we have offended a nation". [17] [11] He had an interview on the television show Breakfast to apologise, [18] as well as on AM . [19]

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.

— Zoo Miami, [12]

After the zoo's response

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said that it was good that the zoo acknowledged that they had mistreated Paora, [15] and that the zoo was "taking it seriously". [20] He added that the public reaction "shows a lot of Kiwis take pride in our national bird when they’re overseas." [14] National leader Christopher Luxon said, "A fantastic back down from the zoo – to make the right decision". [21]

Not everyone was assured that the kiwi would be looked after well enough. Paora Haitana, for whom the kiwi is named, said that he was "not sure if Miami Zoo has the expert or qualified people to be able to deliver that for Paora the kiwi", and said that experts from New Zealand should help the zoo. [21]

The New York Times wrote that "this incident has revealed the potential pitfalls of what might be called "kiwi diplomacy"', a kiwi version of China's panda diplomacy. [22]

After controversy

In December 2023, Paora was described by Stuff as "thriving and enjoying a relaxed life in his secluded area away from the public", as the public kiwi encounters had stopped being offered and fluorescent lights had been eliminated from Paora's shelter. [23] [24] It has glass that removes 80 per cent of light, and the lighting system is be able to be adjusted to red, which is invisible to kiwi. There will be a pool that is about 6 inches (15 cm) deep. The kiwi exhibit will replace a gift shop, [23] and construction was planned to start in January 2024. [25] Save the Kiwi helped with the build of the new shelter, and it was approved by the Department of Conservation. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiwi (bird)</span> Order of birds

Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand of the order Apterygiformes. The five extant species fall into the family Apterygidae and genus Apteryx. Approximately the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are the smallest ratites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Tamaki</span> New Zealand evangelical leader

Brian Raymond Tamaki is a New Zealand Christian fundamentalist religious leader, and politician. He is the leader of Destiny Church, a Pentecostal Christian organisation which advocates strict adherence to fundamentalist biblical morality. Tamaki has been involved with various fringe political parties and movements, and since 2022 he has led the Freedoms New Zealand party. A perennial candidate, he has run for office several times but has yet to be elected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoo Miami</span> Zoo in Miami, Florida, United States

The Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens, also known as Zoo Miami, is a zoological park and garden in Miami and is the largest zoo in Florida. Originally established in 1948 at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Zoo Miami relocated in 1980 as Miami MetroZoo to the former location of the Naval Air Station Richmond, southwest of Miami in southern unincorporated Miami-Dade County, surrounded by the census-designated places of Three Lakes (north), South Miami Heights (south), Palmetto Estates (east) and Richmond West (west).

Newshub was a New Zealand news service that aired on the television channel Three, and on digital platforms, until July 2024. It also operated on radio stations run by MediaWorks Radio until December 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington Zoo</span> Zoo in Wellington, New Zealand

Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo is a 13-hectare (32-acre) zoo in the green belt of Wellington, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Hipkins</span> Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2023

Christopher John Hipkins is a New Zealand politician who has been serving as leader of the New Zealand Labour Party since January 2023 and leader of the Opposition since November 2023. He was the 41st prime minister of New Zealand from January to November 2023, previously serving as the minister for the public service and minister for education from 2017 to 2023, and the minister for health and the COVID-19 response from 2020 to 2022. He has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Remutaka since the 2008 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jami-Lee Ross</span> New Zealand politician

Jami-Lee Matenga Ross is a New Zealand businessman and former politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Botany from a by-election in March 2011 until he lost his re-election bid at the 2020 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Mitchell (New Zealand politician)</span> New Zealand politician

Mark Patrick Mitchell is a New Zealand politician, former police officer and security contractor, and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives since 2011. He is a member of the National Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Seymour</span> New Zealand politician (born 1983)

David Breen Seymour is a New Zealand politician who has been the Leader of ACT New Zealand and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom since 2014. He currently serves as the 1st Minister for Regulation in the Sixth National Government under Christopher Luxon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Shaw (New Zealand politician)</span> New Zealand politician (born 1973)

James Peter Edward Shaw is a New Zealand climate activist, businessman and former politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 2014 to 2024 and a co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2015 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiri Allan</span> New Zealand politician

Kiritapu Lyndsay Allan is a New Zealand lawyer and former politician. She was a member of Parliament (MP) in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023, representing the Labour Party in the East Coast electorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Willis</span> New Zealand politician

Nicola Valentine Willis is a New Zealand politician who is currently deputy leader of the National Party and minister of Finance in a coalition government with ACT and New Zealand First. Willis entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2018, when she inherited Steven Joyce's seat in Parliament as the next on the party list after his retirement from politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand</span> Government of New Zealand (2017–2023)

The Sixth Labour Government governed New Zealand from 26 October 2017 to 27 November 2023. It was headed first by Jacinda Ardern and later by Chris Hipkins, as Labour Party leader and prime minister.

Oranga Tamariki (OT), also known as the Ministry for Children and previously the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, is a government department in New Zealand responsible for the well-being of children, specifically children at risk of harm, youth offenders and children of the State. It is the successor agency of the former department, Child, Youth and Family (CYF).

KiwiBuild is a real estate development scheme pursued by the Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand. It began in 2018, with the aim of building 100,000 homes by 2028 to increase housing affordability in New Zealand. It comes under the oversight of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Minister responsible is the Minister of Housing, Megan Woods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Luxon</span> Prime Minister of New Zealand since 2023

Christopher Mark Luxon is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who has been serving as the 42nd prime minister of New Zealand since 2023, previously as leader of the Opposition from 2021 to 2023, and as leader of the National Party since 2021. He has been member of Parliament (MP) for Botany since 2020. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Air New Zealand from 2012 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 New Zealand general election</span> General election for the 54th Parliament of New Zealand

The 2023 New Zealand general election was held on 14 October 2023 to determine the composition of the 54th Parliament of New Zealand. Voters elected 122 members to the unicameral New Zealand House of Representatives under the mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting system, with 71 members elected from single-member electorates and the remaining members elected from closed party lists. Of the 72 electorates, only 71 seats were filled, with the remaining electorate MP determined in the 2023 Port Waikato by-election, due to the death of one of the general election candidates. Two overhang seats were added due to Te Pāti Māori winning six electorate seats when the party vote only entitled them to four seats, with an additional overhang seat added after the by-election making for 123 members of parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advance New Zealand</span> Political party in New Zealand (2020–2021)

The Advance New Zealand Party was a short-lived political party in New Zealand from 2020 to 2021. The idea was first unveiled in a newsletter from founder Jami-Lee Ross in April 2020. Ross has claimed that the party was a centrist and anti-corruption movement designed to appeal to voters "in the middle"; however, their main policies represent the political fringe rather than centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 managed isolation in New Zealand</span> New Zealand quarantine system for COVID-19

Managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) was a quarantine system implemented by the New Zealand Government during the country's COVID-19 pandemic. Under the system, people entering New Zealand, COVID-19 positive cases and some of their close contacts were required to isolate at an MIQ facility for 14 days. Compulsory managed isolation and quarantine was announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the 1pm press conference on 9 April 2020, with the system coming into effect for people boarding flights to New Zealand from midnight that day. The government contracted dozens of hotels in five cities that were exclusively used as managed isolation facilities. The task was organised by the Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) unit, part of the COVID-19 All-of-Government Response Group.

Freedoms New Zealand, also known as Freedoms NZ: Uniting Political Parties and Freedom Movements, is a registered political alliance in New Zealand, founded on 22 August 2022 by Brian Tamaki following a series of protests. Today it is co-led by Tamaki and Sue Grey. It is an "umbrella party", consisting of an alliance between Tamaki's Freedom and Rights Coalition organisation, the registered Vision NZ and Outdoors & Freedom parties, and the unregistered Yes Aotearoa and Rock The Vote NZ parties.

References

  1. 1 2 "Miami Zoo's treatment of Paora the kiwi sparks petition". The New Zealand Herald . 23 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  2. 1 2 Hett, John (4 November 2019). "Florida's first native kiwi gets its name". WPLG. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "A kiwi chick named Paora makes history in Florida". Stuff . 10 November 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "'We have offended a nation': Miami zoo's treatment of kiwi bird enrages New Zealand". The Guardian . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "DOC to raise concerns with US zoo over treatment of kiwi". 1News . 23 May 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Miami zoo apologizes after treatment of kiwi bird outrages New Zealand". NBC News . 25 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Zoo Miami issues apology, stops kiwi encounters after concerns about treatment of New Zealand bird". ABC News . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Paora Haitana concerned at treatment of namesake kiwi at Miami Zoo". RNZ . 23 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Conservation specialist slams viral kiwi video at Miami zoo as DoC raises concerns". Newshub . 23 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Icon abroad: Where and why our national bird is overseas". The New Zealand Herald . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Miami zoo apologizes after treatment of kiwi bird 'offended a nation'". Washington Post . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Furious New Zealanders campaign to bring kiwi home despite Zoo Miami apology over interactive encounter". Newshub . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  13. ↑ "Miami Zoo end kiwi encounters after uproar over welfare concerns for Paora". The New Zealand Herald . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Enraged New Zealanders call out 'mistreatment' of kiwi at Miami zoo". The Independent . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  15. 1 2 3 "Prime Minister weighs in on treatment of Paora the kiwi in Miami zoo". Stuff . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  16. ↑ "US zoo ends kiwi petting experience after outcry from New Zealanders". CNN . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "A Miami zoo apologizes for kiwi petting encounter that angered New Zealanders". NPR . 25 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  18. ↑ "'We were wrong': Zoo Miami to end controversial kiwi encounter". 1News . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  19. ↑ "Full AM interview: Miami zoo 'profoundly sorry' over viral kiwi video, encounter scrapped 'effective immediately'". Newshub . 25 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  20. ↑ "Hipkins weighs in on Zoo Miami kiwi controversy". 1News . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  21. 1 2 "Namesake of kiwi Paora appreciates Miami Zoo's apology, wants New Zealand experts to offer assistance in improving care". Newshub . Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  22. ↑ "They Cuddled a Kiwi. New Zealand Said, 'Stop That.'". The New York Times . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  23. 1 2 "Where is Paora? The kiwi pulled from public life following US petting scandal". Stuff . 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  24. 1 2 "Paora the kiwi doing 'extraordinarily well' after Zoo Miami controversy". 1News . 1 August 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  25. ↑ "Paora the kiwi – Florida zoo announces start date for new enclosure". 1News . 15 December 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.