Endangered Species

Denby Fawcett: Can Oʻahu Spend Millions On Pandas And Also Upgrade The Zoo? Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Denby Fawcett: Can Oʻahu Spend Millions On Pandas And Also Upgrade The Zoo?

Giant pandas could be a big draw for the Honolulu Zoo. But would they distract from the mission of protecting species endemic to Hawaiʻi?

Rare Hawaiian Birds Weather Hurricane Lala But More Storms Loom Courtesy: Andrew Sullivan-Haskins/2026

Rare Hawaiian Birds Weather Hurricane Lala But More Storms Loom

The birds and ecosystems of Kamole are in recovery after Hurricane Lala passed over the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

This Hawaiian Waterbird Is Making A Comeback. Should It Still Be Endangered? Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

This Hawaiian Waterbird Is Making A Comeback. Should It Still Be Endangered?

Most agree efforts to save the aeʻo have succeeded so far, but some worry about lifting its ‘endangered’ status in a Trump era with looser conservation rules.

People Usually Get Away With Harming Hawai‘i’s Seals Despite Tourist Case Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

People Usually Get Away With Harming Hawai‘i’s Seals Despite Tourist Case

A Seattle visitor was arrested a week after lobbing a rock at an endangered seal on Maui. But cases involving people killing the seals are rarely prosecuted.

Hawaiʻi’s Critically Endangered Crow Is Soaring In Maui Forests (Courtesy: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

Hawaiʻi’s Critically Endangered Crow Is Soaring In Maui Forests

Extinct in the wild since 2002, several ʻalalā have survived their first year since being released on the Valley Isle.

Green Sea Turtles Have Rebounded. Should Hawaiians Be Able To Eat Them? Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2012

Green Sea Turtles Have Rebounded. Should Hawaiians Be Able To Eat Them?

The honu has recovered from the brink of extinction, prompting some to ask if it’s time to give Native Hawaiians the right to resume traditional harvesting.

‘Historic’ Rules Approved To Protect Moloka‘i From Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Leilani Combs/Civil Beat/2025

‘Historic’ Rules Approved To Protect Moloka‘i From Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle

The Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity voted to temporarily block the transportation of certain green materials to the island.

Invasive Beetles Are Overrunning Oʻahu. Could New Methods Offer Relief? (Leilani Combs/Civil Beat/2025)

Invasive Beetles Are Overrunning Oʻahu. Could New Methods Offer Relief?

The agriculture department has been focusing on coconut rhinoceros beetles on other Hawaiian islands, leaving Oʻahu largely to fend for itself.

‘Elvis Would Be Totally Against That’: Feral Cat Battle Reaches Fever Pitch Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat

‘Elvis Would Be Totally Against That’: Feral Cat Battle Reaches Fever Pitch

A new county measure outlawing cat feeding on the Big Island is expected to become law this week, pitting feral cat advocates against politicians.

For Environmental Scientists, Climate Change Means Coping With Death (Leilani Combs/Civil Beat/2025)

For Environmental Scientists, Climate Change Means Coping With Death

The burden of grief related to extinction and invasive species in Hawaiʻi is a heavy one for conservation professionals. Some are learning how to handle it.