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A smelly penguin wins New Zealand’s hard-fought bird election - WTOP News

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The hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin, wins New Zealand's bird of the year .

The bird is a shy bird thought to be the world’s rarest penguin.

Campaigners launched meme wars, sought celebrity endorsements and even got tattoos to prove their loyalty.

In 2018 , Australian pranksters cast hundreds of fraudulent votes in favor of the shag.

The following year , Forest & Bird was forced to clarify that a flurry of votes from Russia appeared to be from legitimate bird-lovers.

While campaigns are fiercely competitive, managers described tactics more akin to pro wrestling.