sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - sept/oct 2011 - endangered-species - on the brink: animals fighting for survival
Photography by Joel Sartore | Captions by Della Watson
The nene, or Hawaiian goose, earned its name from its distinctive, murmur-like, "nay-nay" call. Hunting, habitat loss, and introduced predators and disease reduced the Nene's population to a mere 30 birds in 1951. Boosted by conservation and breeding programs, Hawaii's state bird now numbers in the thousands. (Photographed at the Great Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls, South Dakota)