A chain of New Zealand hardware stores, Mitre 10, has removed dog toys shaped like kiwi birds from their shelves.
The kiwi bird is New Zealand’s national bird; the country is the only place in the world where these birds are found. The move was prompted by an outcry from conservationists.
Kiwi birds are unusual. The smallest member of the ratites, the brown birds cannot fly. Conservationists warn that this makes them particularly vulnerable to being attacked by dogs.
This is what led to the kiwi-shaped toys being pulled from shelves. Complainants found the toys offensive in light of the kiwi bird population decline and their significance to indigenous communities and New Zealanders at large.
However, they have acknowledged that the toys bear only a passing resemblance to real-life kiwi birds.
In recent years, conservationists have worked hard to stabilize kiwi bird populations. To this end, they do not want to promote the idea that it is okay for dogs to attack or mouth the birds.
Kiwi birds face many threats to their survival. These include predation by roaming or feral dogs, habitat loss, and predation by other animals.
This article by Willow Lynn was first published by One Green Planet on 23 December 2023. Image Credit :Lakeview Images/Shutterstock.
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