The New Zealand Department of Conservation describes the weka as a "large, brown flightless bird that has a famously feisty and curious personality." It is also "fully protected," the department says—meaning reality show contestants definitely shouldn't kill and eat them. An American contestant on Race to Survive: New Zealand has apologized for chowing down on a weka during filming last fall, the New York Times reports. Contestants on the show have to forage for their own food in a 40-day race over some of the country's harshest terrain, reports the Daily Beast.
In a clip from the show, Spencer "Corry" Jones apologized for his "shortsighted" and "foolish" behavior. He said he had been in "mini-starvation mode" when he killed and ate the chicken'-sized bird. "I knew it was breaking a rule," he said. "What I did disrespected New Zealand, and I'm sorry." Jones and teammate Oliver Dev were disqualified after the show's eighth episode, losing their chance to win the $500,000 top prize. The bird is extinct across much of mainland New Zealand and the maximum penalty for killing one is up to two years in prison or a fine of almost $60,000, the BBC reports.
The conservation department, which was notified about the incident by production company Original Productions, decided to let Jones and the company off with a warning letter because of the circumstances. "Cast members were fatigued and suffering from significant hunger, in an unusual group dynamic situation," said Dylan Swain, the department's team lead of investigations, per 1News. "Nonetheless, killing and eating a native protected species in this matter is unacceptable and the company is 'on notice' about the need for its program participants to adhere to conservation legislation." (More New Zealand stories.)
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