The Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s newest resident is a large, flightless, nocturnal species of bird found only on the island of New Zealand. It’s a North Island brown kiwi named Eustace.

County Executive Ryan McMahon came to visit the bird on Thursday, and Eustace will now be on view in the Nocturnal Animals wing of the zoo’s Animal Adaptations area.

Eustace represents a species that has experienced deep decline in its native habitat in New Zealand, where the kiwi is revered and considered a cherished charge of the native Maori people. The kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand, and New Zealanders refers to themselves as “kiwis.”

Kiwis are listed as vulnerable due to predation by human-introduced animals such as rats, weasels, cats, dogs and pigs, which have threatened the survival of kiwis and their eggs.

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon congratulated the zoo on becoming only the eighth zoo in the United States to be able to care for this species.

County Executive McMahon said, “This shows once again that our zoo is one of the best and most respected zoos in the country. Only the most trusted institutions with the most experienced staff are able to have kiwis. To have such a unique animal right here in Central New York is a very special thing.”

Zoos that care for kiwis must agree to many mandatory regulations before they can acquire them. There are five species of kiwi in New Zealand, and all are considered sacred by the indigenous Maori people – so zoos allowed to keep them must collect the feathers when the kiwi molts and send them back to New Zealand to be “repatriated” and given to Maori tribal leaders to be used in traditional Maori weaving.

The zoo also was required to have several staff members trained to care for and handle kiwis.

Zoo Director Ted Fox said the zoo’s General Curator, Dan Meates, and his wife, zookeeper Leisje Meates, both have prior experience with kiwis, which assisted the process of being able to acquire one at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

In addition, the zoo was required to send the two main bird care staff who would work with the kiwi to train at to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The two zookeepers who went for the kiwi training are Birds Collection Manager April Zimpel and bird keeper Ryan Shostack.

Kiwis are most closely related to the ostrich. Females, which grow larger than males, can reach up to 25 inches tall and weigh up to 11 pounds. Eustace is over 20 inches inches tall and weighs over 5 pounds.

Fox said the best time to see Eustace is in the hour right after the zoo opens at 10 a.m.County Executive McMahon said meeting Eustace was a high point of his week. “He’s a cool little guy and I got to feed him two worms,” McMahon said.

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is Syracuse’s accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care, wildlife conservation and guest experience. Visit the zoo’s website at www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org and the Friends of the Zoo events site at www.syracusezooevents.org.

The Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is the non-profit organization that supports the zoo and its conservation missions. Learn more about the Friends at www.syracusezooevents.org/our-story.