Miami Zoo has issued an apology after footage of a kiwi bird being hugged and petted by visitors under bright lamps in New Zealand. writes about it Guard.
The kiwi treatment at the Miami Zoo has infuriated thousands of New Zealanders, who have launched a campaign to bring the bird back to its homeland, forcing the zoo to apologize. In New Zealand, the kiwi bird is considered the national pride of the country.
Zoo visitors in Miami pay $25 to “meet the kiwi.” In a video posted on the zoo’s social media, an attendant hugs the bird, scratches its head, and shows it to a group of visitors feeding it worms. “She likes to be petted, like a little dog,” she writes in the video.
After 9,000 people signed the “Help save this abused kiwi” petition, they sent numerous complaints to the zoo.
Zoo spokesman Ron Magill later said the zoo had “made a big mistake”. “I immediately went to the zoo director and said that we were insulting the nation,” he said.
Later that day, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke about the incident. He noted that even New Zealanders living abroad are proud of the country’s national symbol.
Formerly socialbites.ca knowledgeableshe hosted the Pet Gala for Animals by fashion designer Anthony Rubio.