'Nene,' Hawaiian Goose, Is Back From Extinction's Brink
Hawaii's state bird — among the world's rarest geese — has recovered enough to be proposed for "threatened" rather than "endangered" status under the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service just announced. The nene's population went from only 30 in 1960 to 2,800 today after a decades-long collaborative program of captive breeding, predator control and habitat protection.
"Thanks to the Endangered Species Act, the nene is on its way to recovery," said the Center's Loyal Mehrhoff, former field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Hawaii. "It's a real testament to the Act's effectiveness."
The nene is believed to have evolved from the Canada goose and once lived on almost all the Hawaiian Islands. It's still at risk from non-native predators like mongooses and cats, habitat destruction and vehicle collisions.
Read more in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
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