Patrons of Lili‘uokalani Park and Gardens in Hilo were disheartened recently to learn about the death of a nene gosling in the park.
Last month, a nene gosling was found dead from unknown causes and was taken by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources for a necropsy so the exact cause of death can be determined.
According to K.T. Cannon-Eger, president of Friends of Lili‘uokalani Park and Gardens, as many as 10 nene frequent the park, but nesting has become more uncommon due to the threat posed by other animals.
“We have had nene nest here, but they get spooked by the dogs and have often abandoned their nesting area, which has resulted in some nene dying in the egg,” Cannon-Eger said. “This new nest was under a bush, so I’m not sure if there were more eggs, but one did hatch, and it was growing up well and looked healthy. I thought he was going to make it.”
While the investigation into the cause of the gosling’s death is ongoing, there are several threats that could have affected its health.
“We had some witnesses say they saw some teens chasing the (nene) family, and with feral cats and mongoose, who knows exactly how it died,” Cannon-Eger said. “It’s common for nene to die when people feed them, as well. Feeding is deadly to birds and causes them to miss out on their nutrition, because they feel like they are full.”
After finding that the nene had made a nest in the popular park earlier this year, the Hawaii County Parks and Recreation Department and Friends of Lili‘uokalani Park put up signs warning people about the rules when it comes to protecting Hawaii’s native goose.
The signs in the park strictly say to not feed the nene and to stay back at least 10 feet.
“I was very disheartened to hear of death of the new gosling. There are park visitors that watched it grow over a few weeks, and it’s passing is unfortunate,” said Parks and Rec Director Maurice Messina. “We have signage in our parks reminding people that nene are an endangered, protected species under state and federal law. The signs remind visitors that the nene are not to be harassed, to not feed them, and to leave them be.”
On Hawaii Island, nene populations breed and molt in scattered locations. Nests often have been found in East Hawaii beach parks as well as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. While nests are often protected by barriers, people often disturb and feed the nene when they are out and about.
If someone witnesses a park visitor harassing nene, Parks and Rec asks that the witnesses educate the perpetrators and let them know that nene are a protected species under law.
“Losing one gosling is a tragedy, so it’s up to us as a community to ensure their safety,” Messina said. “When a gosling passes a way, the nene parents do grieve, and it’s during a period when they are at their most vulnerable.”
Goslings are raised by both parents and they become a tight-knit social unit for about a year. The adult nene also are flightless for about four to six weeks, generally gaining flight feathers at the same time as their offspring.
According to the National Park Service, habitat loss and the impacts of introduced mammals are the main reasons for the population decline. Dogs, cats, mongooses and rats, which frequently visit or live in Lili‘uokalani Park, serve as the nene’s biggest predators.
“If someone walks a dog on a leash, that is fine as long as they pick up after them. However, walking a dog off leash runs the risk of chasing and killing the goose either from stress or from the bite,” Cannon-Eger said. “Feral cats need to be discussed at DLNR — as the landowners — because they do pose a threat.”
According to Cannon-Eger, there was an attempt to put out mongoose traps, but they can’t be used since the traps also can harm cats.
Even though the cause of the gosling’s death remains unknown, Parks and Rec urges the public to keep nene wild by never feeding them and giving them space, so they don’t learn behaviors that can lead to death.
“The nene are our treasures, and they need all the help they can get to survive and thrive,” Cannon-Eger said.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.