WAIKIKI, Hawaii (KHON2) — The arguably most important election of 2024 has come to a close as the Honolulu Zoo has appointed a new mayor.
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On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the City and County of Honolulu announced that Makamae, a native Hawaiian short-eared owl, was voted Mayor of the Honolulu Zoo.
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Makamae’s journey began on the Garden Isle, when he was discovered with a “blind right eye and was deemed unsuitable for release back to the wild.”
The Kauai Humane Society found him in a neighborhood and helped him find a new home at the Honolulu Zoo in July 2016.
Makamae went up against Jaws, a Galapagos tortoise, in a virtual election held over the weekend.
Jaws is a long-time resident of Honolulu Zoo, traveling to the islands in 1929 as part of the Charles Townsend expedition.
Hawaii residents cast their votes through Facebook and Instagram in the form of likes and hearts. According to officials, Makamae defeated Jaws in a landslide.