Just saw a great gift idea for all your Nēnē loving mom's out there. And I don't mean Nenê the Denver Nugget or NeNe the Atlanta Housewife.
By adopting a Nēnē, the state bird of Hawaii, you'll be helping to protect endangered species and important habitats in the Park from destruction by feral goats and pigs, from invasion by alien plants, and from predation by mongooses, feral cats, and rats. ADOPT-A-NENE today!
Nēnē Facts:
The Nēnē (Branta Sandwicensis) is Hawaii's endemic state bird.
In 1778 when Captain Cooke arrived in the Hawaiian islands, there were probably 25,000 Nene. By the 1950's there were only 30 geese left. Currently, there are less than 1800 Nēnē in the wild throughout the world. Most live outside of Hawaii in zoos and private collections.
Nēnē were once extinct from Maui and re-introduced in to Maui in the 1960s.
The total Nēnē population in Haleakala Park is estimated to be about 300, and West Maui supports perhaps 200 more.
Nēnē have longer toes than most geese, used for climbing up mountainsides and lava rock.