Following the protests, stores have removed kiwi dog toys
Kiwi road sign and Mount Njoroho volcano at sunset, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand, September 28, 2018. nmint/Stock.adobe.com
A New Zealand supermarket chain has withdrawn southern kiwi dog chew toys from sale after outrage from conservationists trying to save the endangered bird. According to official figures, there are less than 70,000 kiwis left in New Zealand, and dogs are one of their main predators.
DIY supermarket chain Miter 10 has agreed to stop selling kiwi-shaped chew toys – sporting Santa hats – after complaints from environmental campaigners.
‘Not the right message’
“We really fight to keep kiwi safe from a number of pests and predators, including stray and feral dogs.“, announced Friday to AFP Michelle Impey, General Director of “Save the kiwi“.
“Promoting (the fact) that it is normal for a dog to have a kiwi in its mouth is not the right message we want to send to dog owners“, she added. The number of kiwis in New Zealand is decreasing by about 2% every year. AFP contacted Miter 10 for its reaction.
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