"Race to Survive" contestant disqualified for eating protected bird on a show
A participant in a television program killed and ate a Weka bird. He said he did it knowingly because he and his friend did not prepare for hunger. As a result, both the contestant and his teammate were disqualified from the program.
9:57 PM EDT, July 23, 2024
According to media reports, a participant in the American survival reality show Race to Survive killed and ate a protected bird in New Zealand during filming. In the program, participants must largely hunt for food themselves. The second season was being filmed in New Zealand.
As reported by Radio New Zealand, participant Spencer "Corry" Jones was aware that he was breaking the rules by killing and eating the bird. In the recording, he can be seen apologizing, saying he made a stupid mistake. He added that he and his friend did not prepare for hunger.
He killed a flightless weka bird, a fully protected species that has become extinct in large areas of New Zealand.
"What I did disrespected New Zealand, and I’m sorry," the participant said. Both Jones and his teammate Oliver Dev were disqualified in the eighth episode of the program.
The Department of Conservation in New Zealand was alerted by a representative of the American production company Original Productions shortly after the incident.
As reported by the BBC, officials investigated and issued written warnings to the company and the participant. The authorities considered the extraordinary dynamic situation in the group, such as the fatigue and substantial hunger of the cast members, which may have influenced their decisions.
"Killing and eating a native protected species in this matter is unacceptable, and the company is ‘on notice’ about the need for its programme participants to adhere to conservation legislation" said Dylan Swain, lead investigator in the department.
The weka bird is a protected species
The weka is a large flightless bird known for its feisty and curious personality. Unfortunately, this species has become extinct in large areas of New Zealand due to changing climate conditions and the increasing number of predators. While it can be legally hunted on some islands in the country, it is generally protected under the Wildlife Act of 1953.
According to this act, the maximum penalty for harming the bird is two years in prison or a fine of 60,000 United States dollars. Protecting this species is extremely important because the weka plays a significant role in New Zealand's ecosystem.
