Endangered nene bird killed at Hawaii park

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii Volcanoes National Park officials are urging motorists to slow down and watch out for endangered nene birds after one of the animals was killed there.

Park officials say a female nene was killed early Friday morning along Chain of Craters Road inside the park.

Hawaii News Now (http://bit.ly/SRi2Q1 ) reports the bird’s mate is still near the site. The pair was preparing to nest.

The park has placed nene crossing signs on roads where birds are known to congregate or cross, and where vehicles most frequently hit and kill the birds.

Park wildlife biologist Kathleen Misajon says it’s imperative that drivers use caution in all nene crossing zones.

The nene is the state bird. There are only about 2,000 of them in the wild.

___

Information from: KGMB-TV, http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.