A TV show designed to force contestants to survive in the wilderness got awkward when producers had to disqualify two team members for eating the wrong bird. On episode eight of USA Network’s Race to Survive, Spencer “Corry” Jones and teammate Oliver Dev admitted to eating “one of the creatures running around camp that we were not allowed to eat.” Producers then kicked them off the show.
Race to Survive: New Zealand highlighted nine teams of two as they raced 150 miles across New Zealand. Filming took place last fall, but the show just finished airing on Monday. Contestants had to find their own food and water throughout the journey. The winners (Ethan Greenberg and Tyrie Mann Merrill) received a $500,000 prize.
The TV network had a special permit to film the show on New Zealand land. A statement from Race to Survive said the contestants knew the rules and guidelines ahead of time. One of these guidelines was that no one could hunt native species, many of which are endemic to New Zealand.
In a TikTok video posted by USA Network, Jones and Dev explain the situation. Jones admits that in a fog of hunger and desperation, he knowingly broke a rule and killed a forbidden bird. The pair then ate it.
Which Bird Did They Eat?
The forbidden bird—a large, flightless bird called a weka—is “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Even though wekas aren’t on the verge of extinction, they’re still very much off limits. Producers say they told New Zealand authorities as soon as they realized what happened.
According to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, the punishment for hunting a protected species is up to two years in prison or a fine up to NZD $100,000. However, CNN reports that New Zealand wildlife officials let the contestants off with a warning, since they were clearly “tired,” “hungry,” and “in a ‘unique’ situation.”
Watch the disqualified Race to Survive contestants explain their actions here:
What do you think about what happened?