A pair of contestants on the U.S. reality show “Race to Survive” have been disqualified, losing out on the potential $500,000 prize, after one of them killed a protected bird in New Zealand. The incident occurred during the latest season of the show, which challenges teams to complete a 150-mile journey across harsh wilderness terrain while sourcing their own food and water.
This season was set in New Zealand, home to the threatened weka bird, a species protected by law and listed as “threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Under New Zealand legislation, killing a weka can result in a prison sentence of up to two years. However, “Race to Survive” contestant Spencer “Corry” Jones said the intense hunger experienced during the grueling competition caused him to make the decision to eat one of these birds.
“There’s creatures running around camp that we’re not allowed to eat. You get into that mindset of starvation mode and this slowing down of your cognition,” Jones said on the show. “It’s this mental shift where the thoughts kind of drift a little more and there’s this very deep need to eat.”
The incident led to the elimination of Jones and his partner from the competition. New Zealand wildlife officials decided to issue a warning instead of pressing charges, citing the “unique” circumstances of the situation. In a confessional on the show, Jones expressed remorse for his actions, saying he had “disrespected New Zealand” and made a “foolish mistake,” but that “survival in the bush in New Zealand is not easy.”
The show’s production team said in a statement that the incident was reported to authorities as soon as the team became aware of it. It also emphasized that all contestants had been briefed and continually reminded throughout shooting about the presence of protected species and plants in the area that could not be eaten.
