Fans wondering about the whereabouts of Taylor Swift got solid confirmation that the pop star was indeed in New Zealand shooting a music video for "Out of the Woods," albeit through unfavorable circumstances.
The "1989" artist's team reportedly threatened the existence of the endangered New Zealand dottorel by driving more than the recommended number of vehicles through the nesting areas of the rare bird.
"The 25-year-old pop superstar slipped into New Zealand this week to film the video at Bethells Beach, a popular seaside town just outside the city," Yahoo! News reported. "The chairwoman of the Waitakere Ranges Local Board Sandra Coney said Swift's production company was given permission to film on the beach, which is home to the critically endangered New Zealand dotterel."
The restriction only advised using no more than 2 vehicles along the sand. However, the film crew, which was later identified as that of Cherokee Films, used about a dozen vans.
The singer's London-based reps later issued a statement from the said firm, apologizing for the alleged violation.
"Taylor Swift and her management team were in no way at fault and did not do anything that violated permits or ordinances," Cherokee Films said, as reported by the BBC.
"Cherokee Films has a long history of responsible film shoots across Auckland, including Bethells Beach, where we have filmed many time," the company's statement went on. "Our shoots have always been with the guidance and support of the relevant local authority - most recently Screen Auckland and Parks - and landowners."
"In acknowledgement of the concern this has added to those in charge of protecting local Dotterel population Cherokee Films will make a donation to the breeding program as we support your concerns," it said in conclusion.
The company, however, maintained that its crew "adhered to the Dotterel protocol in guidelines provided about the dotterel nesting sites, and at no time were the film crew close to that habitat. No Dotterel were harmed."
It also stated that the crew always stayed in the hard sand area, as prescribed in the permit.
In other news, Swift reportedly was spotted in Queenstown, New Zealand with boyfriend DJ Calvin Harris Friday morning, NZ Herald said. However, she left for Australia at about 8:30 in the morning (NZ time). She has been rumored to have visited Lorde at the "Royals" singer's family residence in Auckland.
The "Bad Blood" singer will be kicking off the Australian leg of her "1989" World Tour on Saturday. She had skipped the 2015 AMAs and 2015 ARIA Awards on Sunday and Thursday respectively.
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