Crew Behind Taylor Swift's New Music Video Denies Harming Endangered Birds
Music

New Zealand production company Cherokee Films defends the 'Shake It Off' singer and offers a donation to the dotterel breeding program.

AceShowbiz - A crew working with Taylor Swift on her new music video has responded to allegations that they breached the terms of their shooting permit while filming at Bethells Beach in New Zealand. Kiwi production company Cherokee Films recently issued a statement in attempt to resolve bad blood with conservationists and locals who were concerned with endangered dotterel birds nesting there.

The company defended Swift, saying as quoted by Stuff.co.nz, "Taylor Swift and her management team were in no way at fault and did not do anything that violated permits or ordinances." They went on defending themselves, noting that this wasn't their first time filming at the beach.

"Cherokee Films has a long history of responsible film shoots across Auckland, including Bethells Beach, where we have filmed many times," they continued. "Our shoots have always been with the guidance and support of the relevant local authority - most recently Screen Auckland and Parks - and landowners."

They also claimed that their filming location was nowhere close to the dotterels' nesting spot. "At all times the film 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," they said. "No Dotterel were harmed."

The company then offered a donation to the dotterel breeding program. "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," they added.

Previously, some conservationists including Waitakere Ranges Local Board chair Sandra Coney publicly called out Swift after some pictures emerged online showing many trucks at Bethells Beach while she's only allowed to bring two vehicles there. They're afraid that the filming would affect the rare birds.

"We are trying to minimize vehicles on beaches for good reasons but at Bethells there are baby dotterels. We have developed a dotterel management plan as there is a heap of filming out there, and we welcome it as economic activity that should leave no footprint, but Taylor's lot did not respect the environment or the conditions of their consent," Coney said in a statement posted on her Facebook page earlier this week.

For now, there's no official word on which song the video was shot for, though there's been rumor claiming Swift is releasing "Out of the Woods" as the next single off her "1989" album.

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