From Hawaii News Now

Meet Honolulu Zoo’s new mayor!

Makamae is a male pueo, a native Hawaiian short-eared owl. He came to the Honolulu Zoo on July 19, 2016, from the Kauai Humane Society. He was found with a blind right eye and was deemed unsuitable for release back to the wild.

Makamae defeated his opponent, Jaws, a Galapagos tortoise, in a virtual election conducted on the zoo’s Facebook and Instagram pages. One of the zoo’s oldest residents, Jaws arrived as a juvenile in 1929, before the zoo was even established.

Not all is lost for Jaws. He was named the zoo’s Director of Habitat Protection and Chief Conservation Officer and will lead a subcommittee as Czar of Birthday Shellebrations for all zoo animals.

The contest was designed to bring attention to the challenges endangered and threatened species face.

The Pueo is Hawaii’s only living native owl. Barn Owls were brought purposefully to the islands last century.

There were a few varieties of large “stilt-owls” that went extinct that were up to 2 ft / 60 cm tall though! The largest species of stilt-owl was found in Cuba and is 50% bigger!

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    “I want to congratulate Makamae on his recent win, HOOO I know will do a bang-up job as Honolulu Zoo Mayor,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi in a news release. “What a well-executed campaign from both candidates who ran on conservation platforms, including education, food sustainability programs, and trying to protect our planet from climate change. We stand ready to assist Mayor Makamae in any way we can to push these climate action and adaptation efforts forward!”