Online voters have done it again… by not choosing a bird for the Forest & Bird conservation charity’s Bird of the Year award. The award instead went to the pekapeka-tou-roa better known as the Long-tailed Bat. This is the first time a non-bird has won the award. According to UPI, it’s likely thanks to a decision made to include it on the list of finalists to raise awareness and support for the species and to online voters, hers who never shy away from voting something odd into existence.
In a statement, Bird of the Year spokeswoman Laura Keown said, “A vote for bats is also a vote for predator control, habitat restoration, and climate action to protect our bats and their feathered neighbors!” And the Long-tailed Bats need a bit of good press because they’re listed as “nationally critical” by the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
Perhaps giving bats a chance at some good PR created some synergy for Forest & Bird because 56,733 votes were cast, the most in the competition’s history. To win the award, the Long-tailed Bat received 7,031 votes, giving it a big enough lead against the second-place finisher and last year’s winner, the kakapo, which received only 4,072 votes.
Cover Photo: Xinhua News Agency (Getty Images)
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