Four nene killed on Koke‘e Road

A state biologist picked up four young nene yesterday morning that were found killed in a suspected automobile accident near mile 13 along Koke‘e Road.

The state bird, a relative of the Canada goose, has been listed as an endangered species protected under federal law since 1967.

Thomas Kaiakapu, who works for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources as a district wildlife biologist on Kaua‘i, said the dead Hawaiian geese will be sent to Honolulu next week for a necropsy.

“They’ll be cut up, examined and a veterinarian will issue a report,” he said. “We suspect a car may have hit the birds. Unfortunately, when one bird gets hit, others come to its rescue. When this happens on the road, then they get killed.”

It is tough for a driver, even when obeying the 25 miles per hour speed limit on Koke‘e Road, to stop in time to avoid hitting the geese, the biologist said.

The state considers the Westside incident a wildlife accident, he added, so no criminal investigation will follow.

Due to recovery efforts and no mongoose as a predator, the nene population on Kaua‘i has more than tripled in the past 10 years. Some 800 Hawaiian geese now thrive throughout the island, Kaiakapu said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates the nene, which feature a black head and beak and yellow-buff cheeks, at a population of 30 statewide in 1951. The agency says on its Web site it believes there were more than 25,000 Hawaiian geese on the Big Island before Capt. James Cook arrived in 1778.

At least three of the killed nene were released this year, Kaiakapu said. The birds were banded, which helps scientists identify where a goose was captured and released.

But the rapidly recovering nene population has seen an increase in human-related deaths.

“The more nene we have on the island, the more accidents that tend to happen,” Kaiakapu said, noting about a dozen nene killed on Kaua‘i reported to the state in 2006.

Residents and visitors can help protect the geese by not feeding them, he added.

“It puts them in a dangerous situation because of the habit that forms,” the biologist said. “They get closer to humans and see someone near a parking area, lookout, or any place where there are vehicles and they beg for food.”

Motorists have even killed the birds when backing out of parking spaces, Kaiakapu added.

“You’d think they were fast enough to get out of the way,” he said, but “nene tend to react slower.”

The four killed geese were found near a roadside pull-off overlooking Waimea Canyon.

The state collected the carcass of another dead nene last week along a Princeville street.

An O‘ahu veterinarian will likely determine the cause of death for these killed birds within the next two to three weeks, Kaiakapu said.

Juan Wilson, a Hanapepe resident, said it is critical to protect the nene and likened the situation to the bald eagle.

He questioned how citizens can understand the symbol these birds represent if the species is on the verge of extinction.

Wilson noted the dangers of human interaction with wild animals.

“One of the problems with feeding animals that you think are cute is then they can’t survive on their own,” he said.

Kaiakapu said even feeding the chickens, found flourishing throughout Kaua‘i, puts the nene in a precarious situation.

The birds compete for food, he said, and begin frequenting popular human areas which increases the risk of vehicle accidents.

Wilson pointed to the sustainability conference today at Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center as an indicator of the direction residents have in mind for the future of the island — which includes protecting the nene.

“If we’re going to stay here… they need to too,” he said, referring to native plant and animal populations. “They nurture us. And with this being so delicate a place, our stewardship is critical.”

• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.