Mon 17 Mar 2008
a new american kiwi
Posted by timezoneone under New Zealand
On Friday, March 7, a new american kiwi was born. Yet to be named, this wee North Island brown kiwi hatched at Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC. Unlike the kiwis in the Chicago TimeZoneOne office, this one won’t be allowed to visit New Zealand so any kiwifruit pavlova it is to enjoy will need to be imported. You can watch it snacking on delectable New Zealand treats and doing other typical kiwi things on it’s very own webcam. This isn’t the first time a kiwi has been born outside New Zealand. The first one hatched at the same zoo in 1975. There are about 30 kiwis abroad in various zoos around the world. Contrary to popular belief, the kiwi came first, and the kiwifruit was in fact named after it. I was quite shocked when I discovered that not everyone in the world realized our national emblem was a bird and not a fruit. There are five species of kiwi, all of which are endangered. Conservation programs have been set up to help increase the population and stop our national icon going the way of the moa.
Rose ‘kiwiblogger’ Carson
