This surprisingly charming hen got here in first in competitors however it had some assist alongside the best way.
Dec 10, 2023
(Rostislav Stach / Shutterstock.com)
John Oliver, host of HBO’s late evening present, Last Week Tonight, is thought, amongst different issues, for his quirky tackle the information. One needn’t look farther than his championing of the pūteketeke in New Zealand’s “Bird of the Century” contest, main the hen to a runaway victory with 290,000 votes, reported CNN. An unprecedented quantity of individuals from world wide voted.
A really unusual hen
The pūteketeke is a kind of native New Zealand water hen. It is thought for the distinctive noises it makes, from growling, to clicking, to barking, in addition to its propensity to puke which helps it to eliminate parasites, in line with an NPR interview with John Oliver.
New Zealand isn’t any stranger to unusual birds. The nationwide hen, the kiwi, is a novel and curious flightless hen, in line with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. And certainly, they do look fairly a bit just like the rectangular fuzzy fruits which are named after them.
However, the pūteketeke has many and various unusual traits and these are what caught Oliver’s consideration. According to the NPR interview he was delighted by their unusual mating dance involving moist grass and chest bumps after which simply standing round not sure of what to do subsequent. These are the traits that caught his eye.
Not just for enjoyable
New Zealand’s Bird of the Century contest, launched in 2005 and is an effective little bit of enjoyable, it has a severe aim, reported CNN. The contest brings consideration to native hen species which are endangered and on the brink of extinction.
The pūteketeke isn’t any exception. There are solely about 1,000 birds remaining in New Zealand, and fewer than 3,000 in Australia. Those are dangerously low numbers.
According to NPR, so as to draw consideration to the hen, Oliver purchased billboards everywhere in the world, from Tokyo to Wisconsin, counting on the truth that although the competition is a New Zealand contest, voters can vote from wherever on the earth. The extra well-known the hen turns into, the higher the push to put money into its conservation, or a minimum of that’s the hope.
Creativity is essential in terms of the marketing campaign to preserve endangered species. Though a Bird of the Century contest may appear slightly foolish, it may well really do loads of good in turning individuals’s consideration to the important conservation work that must be executed.
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TIKI KRAKOWSKI,
CONTRIBUTOR
Tiki is a contract author, editor, and translator with a ardour for writing tales. She believes in taking small actions to positively influence the world. She spends her free time studying, baking, creating artwork, and walking her rescue canine.
