Miami zoo apologises for mistreatment of iconic kiwi bird

A US zoo has apologised for mistreating a kiwi, aft footage of visitors patting the nocturnal vertebrate nether agleam lights caused outrage successful New Zealand.

Zoo Miami said it was "deeply sorry" astir the incident, which occurred during a paid carnal brushwood betwixt the kiwi and zoo guests.

The kiwi brushwood has since been removed from the zoo's offerings.

Pāora was hatched successful Zoo Miami successful 2019 arsenic portion of a breeding programme aimed astatine ensuring the kiwi species' survival.

Considered a nationalist icon successful New Zealand, the flightless kiwi vertebrate is symbolic of the country's unsocial earthy practice and the ground for the nickname applied to its people.

In videos which went viral connected societal media connected Tuesday, Pāora looked visibly agitated arsenic guests patted him nether the lights, and the vertebrate tried to retreat into acheronian astatine times.

The uproar successful New Zealand was swift and widespread, prompting an online petition and comments from Prime Minister Chris Hipkins who thanked the zoo for taking nationalist concerns seriously.

"They've acknowledged what they were doing wasn't appropriate, oregon wasn't right, oregon wasn't fair, to the kiwi," Mr Hipkins told a property conference.

A zoo spokesperson told broadcaster Radio NZ that the paid visitant brushwood had been "not good conceived", adding "we were wrong".

"We springiness you our connection that the nationalist volition ne'er grip Pāora again," said communications manager Ron Magill.

Pāora is usually kept retired of nationalist view, according to Zoo Miami, which says plans are "under way" to physique a peculiar situation that volition supply him the structure helium needs, portion besides teaching guests "about the astonishing kiwi without immoderate nonstop contact".

Kiwi are endangered, with lone astir 70,000 of the birds near successful New Zealand and, therefore, successful the world, according the country's Department of Conservation (Doc).

It is incredibly uncommon for kiwi to beryllium kept successful captivity, with conservation efforts successful New Zealand focussed connected preserving their earthy habitats from predators.

Doc said it would sermon Tuesday's incidental involving Pāora with the US Association of Zoos and Aquariums to "address immoderate of the lodging and handling concerns raised".