Celebrity calf tipped for RWC mooves
First there were celebrity dolphins and an accident-prone kiwi. Next a cave-dweller hermit sheep, a rather forward flightless parrot and a sand-eating penguin - and now New Zealand has another animal celebrity.
‘Richie McCow’ is an all-black calf - said to have "psychic'powers - that's set to become a pet feature of Rugby World Cup 2011.
Named after All Blacks’ captain Richie McCaw, the little McCow was born in the northern farming district of Maungaturoto last week, and has already made headlines around the world.
The calf was born all black except for a white mark on its forehead, which looks distinctly like New Zealand’s revered silver fern and has been hailed as an omen by its owners. So, in the build up to Rugby World Cup 2011, which kicks off in New Zealand in September, the unsuspecting baby bovine looks set to play an important role.
Psychic cow
Richie McCow has been labelled "psychic" and 21-year-old owner Kyle Underwood says he’s definitely been born for the World Cup, providing a good omen for a long-prophesied All Blacks’ victory this year.
The calf created a stir on Facebook when Underwood uploaded a picture and suggested he could be used as a mascot. He also suggested Richie (McCow, that is) could make an appearance at Auckland’s Eden Park stadium.
Media around the world picked up on the story including The Telegraph newspaper in Britain which reported Richie McCow was "to follow in the tentacles" of Paul the German Octopus - made famous during the 2010 Fifa World Cup for accurately calling the outcome of eight football matches.
Pre-match test
Now New Zealand newspaper NZ Herald is suggesting the calf’s special powers be tested by presenting him with two containers of food prior to the All Blacks’ RWC matches.
One container will be marked with a New Zealand flag, the other with the national flag of the opposing team.
And, depending on his selection, the outlook may not be great. The young calf will have to shoulder even more pressure than his namesake - his owner has stated that Richie McCow may be sent to the freezing works if the All Blacks exit the tournament early.
Celebrity role
Meantime McCow’s enjoying celebrity status and has been invited to be the star attraction of next month's Auckland Pet & Animal Expo, following in the paw prints of last year's drawcard, the winner of New Zealand's Next Top Cat Model.
And Underwood has fielded an offer of luxury bedding for Richie from 'Bonnie the Cow', suppliers of premium animal bedding to the dairy farming sector.
Since hitting the news in the UK, the young calf’s latest "mooves" have made headlines in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia, France, Jamaica and Taiwan.
Background: NZ animal stories
A number of New Zealand animals and birds have become celebrities, attracting global interest in their quirky behaviour and heart warming stories.
The most recent is Happy Feet an Antarctic emperor penguin, only the second to ever swim to New Zealand shores, who was found on a beach eating sand mistaken for snow. The penguin is being cared for at Wellington Zoo and is recovering well, prior to release.
Other celebrities include Manukura, the rare all white kiwi chick hatched at the Pukaha Mount Bruce sanctuary north of Wellington this year - the first white kiwi born in captivity.
Another headlining kiwi was Piwi the Kiwi - a diminutive bird that had two broken legs and was rehabilitated on a specially designed treadmill. Footage of Piwi working out on the innovative device became a YouTube hit.
Sirocco the kākāpo - a giant flightless, native parrot - has a huge international following as New Zealand spokesbird for conservation. The bird thinks he’s human and became famous for his mating antics with a BBC presenter during filming Last Chance to See in New Zealand.
Several tame dolphins have also earned themselves a place in hearts and history books - after adopting communities around New Zealand.
Pelorus Jack guided ships between Wellington, the Marlborough Sounds and Nelson for 24 years last century. And Opo, a young female bottlenose dolphin, spent two summers in the 1950s off Opononi in the Hokianga Harbour, Northland, playing with children and allowing them to touch her and ride on her back.
More recently, Moko won hearts in communities along the east coast of the North Island, wowing crowds with his playful antics and love of human company, over a period of three years. Moko made world headlines when he saved two beached pygmy sperm whales by leading them back to the safety of deep water.