Call for sheep to be nation animal of NZ

Te Anau Primary School pupil Zara McClean, 10, is thrilled with her win in the years 5 and 6 category at the Southland Primary Schools speech competition. Zara said she genuinely believed New Zealand’s national animal should be a sheep instead of a kiwi.

"I live on a sheep farm and I have pet lambs and sheep and so that’s what got me inspired."

Kiwi cost the country millions of dollars to protect whereas sheep brought money into the economy. Kiwi made a dreadful noise that sounded like a "cross between a dying rodent and a scream".

"They sound awful."

Not many people had seen a kiwi, but many had seen sheep, Zara said.

Zara had come second in the area final and so the win was a surprise. She wondered if she had won because the judges were different, but her parents Chantal and Hamish said her delivery at the finals was the best they had heard.

There was a lot of laughing from the audience during the speech. She enjoyed performing on stage and did not mind speaking or singing in front of a crowd.