Nene geese are treasured species in Hawaii. Not only are they the state bird, but they are endangered. 

Which is why it was all the more troubling when two female nene were recently mowed down by speeding cars in Maui’s Haleakala National Park.

(It was not immediately clear if the birds were Kauai transplants, re-homed on Maui at a cost of $18,000 per bird, because they posed a risk to airplanes arriving and departing from Lihue Airport.)

KITV has more details on the departed birds here.

Photo: Nene (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

— Sophie Cocke