Happy Holidays

Best wishes for a safe and joyous holidays! 

Please don’t forget your pets during this busy time of year – especially with New Year’s fireworks coming up.  Keep them safely secured at home and make sure they are microchipped!

Hoorah for the end of 2009 and high hopes for 2010!

Dr. Becky 

Drivers Urged to Slow Down for Native Birds at Hanalei

The death of several endangered ‘alae‘ula or Hawaiian moorhens near Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge is prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to urge drivers in the vicinity of the Refuge, particularly along Ohiki Road and Kuhio Hwy just past the black bridge to Hanalei, to please slow down and watch for endangered waterbirds along the road. Both ‘alae‘ula and nēnē are at risk.

 The ‘alae‘ula tend to hide in vegetation along the road, and may dart out across the road when they are startled by a vehicle. Last month’s flooding may have increased food sources along the road, and a larger number of ‘alae‘ula on the refuge may be leading them to disperse to new areas in their search for food.

Refuge staff are focusing their efforts on preventing an avian botulism outbreak by looking for sick birds to stop further spread of the disease and nurse those they find back to health. The Fish and Wildlife Service has no authority to close Ohiki Road or Kuhio Hwy, which are under Kaua‘i County and State DOT jurisdictions, respectively. Ohiki Road provides access for several residents mauka of the Refuge.

Should you see anyone hitting an ‘alae‘ula or any other endangered species, please note the license plate and notify both the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE’s hotline is (808) 643-DLNR, their website is:

http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/docare/index.html) and the USFWS ((808) 792-9549 or (808) 861-8525).

Mahalo,

Dr. Becky