By Fan Wang BBC News

The flightless weka bird is fully protected on the country’s mainland. Getty Images

A contestant on a US survival reality show killed and ate a protected bird in New Zealand while filming the series, according to local media reports.

The show called Race to Survive, sees contestants largely having to hunt their own food. It filmed its second season in New Zealand.

The bird, a weka, has become extinct over large parts of New Zealand- and is a fully protected species.

The contestant and his teammate were both disqualified from the race as a result.

Contestant Spencer ‘Corry’ Jones was aware he was breaking the rule when he killed and ate the bird, according to news site Radio New Zealand, citing a clip from the show. 

In the clip, he was seen to have apologised, saying he made a “foolish” mistake and they “didn’t prepare for the hunger”.

“What I did disrespected New Zealand, and I’m sorry,” he said.

Mr Jones, along with his teammate Oliver Dev, were both disqualified in the eighth episode of the series. 

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation said they were alerted by a representative of the production company – US-based Original Productions – shortly after the incident occurred.

Officials conducted an investigation and issued the company and the participant written warnings, citing “unusual group dynamic situation” such as fatigue and significant hunger of the cast members.

“Nonetheless, killing and eating a native protected species in this matter is unacceptable and the company is ‘on notice’ about the need for its programme participants to adhere to conservation legislation,” Dylan Swain, team lead of investigations for the department, said in a statement to 1News.

BBC News has asked Mr Jones and Original Productions for comment. 

An iconic large flightless bird, the weka is famous for its feisty and curious personality.

It has become extinct over large tracts of the mainland as a result of changing climatic conditions and rising predator numbers. But they can also be legally hunted on some islands in the country.

A protected species under the Wildlife Act 1953, the maximum penalty for hurting the bird could be either two years imprisonment or a fine of NZD $100,000 ($59,545; £47,467).

For more on this story go to: BBC