...click here to see a population graph
The nene population had, by the late 60's, dwindled to twelve members, which provided a very small gene pool. A captive breeding program run between Hawaii and Britain brought the Nene back to larger numbers. During this thirty-year time lapse, there were no Nene in the wild. Although the Nene have been reintroduced into the wild during the 1990's, because the gene pool was so limited, they are more susceptible to recessive genes.
People visiting areas where the Nene live often feed the birds. This makes the Nene more dependent on human assistance. This dependence often leads them to roadways, where they are more likely to find people, and are often run over. This is the main cause of death among the Nene.
The Nene used to exist at every elevation on all of the major Hawaiian Island, but because of developments made to the islands by their human inhabitants, the Nene are now confined to a few locations on Kauai, Haleakala Crater on Maui, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii.
The Nene's main predators include mongooses, feral animals such as cats, and rats, which eat their eggs.
