New Zealand bird of the year? A pet cockapoo is not allowed to participate

The kakapo won the New Zealand Bird of the Year award annually in 2008 and 2020. Never before has a bird won the election twice.

New Zealanders will be able to vote for their favorite bird for the 17th time from next week. But Kakabo is missing from the voting list, accordingly Guardian It caused a stir on social media.

No lifetime ban

A spokesperson for the organization organizing the election explained to the British newspaper that Kakapo was not banned for life, but temporarily disqualified.

“If the same bird wins every year, it will no longer be an interesting election,” the spokesman said, insisting the election was “absolutely democratic”.

The 2020 elections attracted huge attention when it was revealed that 1500 votes had been rigged in an attempt to help the little gray Kiwi win. A year earlier, hundreds of votes from Russia raised questions about foreign interference in the election.

A less flashy winner

The kakapo is endangered. In the 1990s, only 50 specimens lived in the wild. Today, the population has grown to 252 people. This bird is only found in New Zealand. It is the heaviest and longest living parrot species.

The organization hopes that the ‘less flashy and less noisy’ bird will win the election this time around. For example, you can vote for a gray duck.

The election was once created to create greater awareness of nature.

Bat as bird of the year

Last year, the organization allowed its own bat to participate in elections for the first time. It eventually flew away with the title bird of the year. This year’s winning bird will be announced later this month.

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