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Kiwis are unique birds and endangered.

DLNews Pets:

In New Zealand, there is outrage about the treatment of their national bird in a zoo in the U.S.: At the zoo in Miami, visitors are allowed to pet a kiwi named Paora in bright light and take selfies with the bird for a fee of about 20 dollars, as can be seen in videos that the zoo posted on the Internet.

The kiwi (snipe ostrich) is a flightless bird native only to New Zealand. Most importantly - it is nocturnal!

Upset New Zealanders launched Tuesday's online petition titled "Save this mistreated Kiwi."

 

Paora had been sent to the Miami Zoo as an egg in 2019 as part of a loan agreement between the Smithsonian National Zoo and the New Zealand government.

"He has been tamed and is exposed to bright fluorescent lights four days a week, touched by dozens of strangers, stroked on his sensitive whiskers, laughed at and displayed like a toy," the petition states.

Organizers say they hope an investigation will be launched into the bird's treatment and will ultimately be relocated to a more appropriate place. "Kiwis are our precious treasures, not America's toys," they said.

Distinctive features of kiwis include their furry, delicate feathers, strong legs with large feet and sharp claws, stunted wings, and long beaks.

New Zealanders are very proud of this oddball, which they consider their emblem. On the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List, kiwis are classified as "vulnerable."