Nene’s deaths on Maui prompt warnings from state biologists

State officials said two nene, born and raised on Maui, were struck and killed by vehicles in separate incidents this weekend.

On Sunday, witnesses reported seeing one of the nene being fed by someone from a stopped car on Amala Place in Kahului, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The other nene was struck near the air cargo bypass at Kahului Airport.

DLNR biologists remind people that feeding protected wildlife like nene is not only illegal, but can endanger them as they learn to associate food with cars.

They are also reminding Maui drivers to slow down as many active breeding pairs of nene, with chicks, have been spotted in the Kahului area this time of year. Many nest and feed around the Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary, which is surrounded by urban roads and highways, officials said.

“Drivers have the rare privilege of spotting native wildlife during their daily commute, but with that comes the responsibility to drive with aloha around our unique and endangered species,” DLNR said in a news release.

Although nene are powerful fliers, officials say, they have difficulty dodging fast-moving cars because they are large birds and require a longer flight path than smaller birds to fly.

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island, meanwhile, is closing the eastern entrance to the Uekahuna Parking Area, along with a portion of the Crater Rim Trail, to protect a pair of nesting nene in the area.

The west entrance to the parking lot will serve as both an entrance and exit, officials said.

The eastern view of the Kilauea caldera at the USGS triangulation station remains open, with the closest access by foot from Kilauea Overlook. The western view of the Kilauea caldera also remains open and can be accessed from the Uekahuna parking lot.

“Protecting native wildlife is part of our mission at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park,” said wildlife biologist Kristina Paxton in a news release. “Nene are very vulnerable to being killed by vehicles, and this partial closure improves their chances of survival.”

Nene are on the federal endangered species list, and while their populations are recovering, they remain critically low, according to park officials. The breeding season runs from September through May, when many of the birds are seen on or near park roads, making them especially vulnerable to death by vehicles at this time of year.

Park officials encourage everyone to help protect nene by slowing down, watching for them near roads and never feeding them. Officials recommend maintaining a distance of at least 60 feet.