Mary Wilson
Well-known member
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2024
(HILO, HAWAI‘I ISLAND) – Toxoplasmosis, an infection spread only in the feces of feral cats, is likely what killed a nēnē gosling last month in Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens.
The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) sent the diseased bird to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center for a necropsy (animal autopsy).
“This tragic incident highlights the problem of having feral cat colonies in areas that are known habitat for endangered or threatened species,” noted DLNR Chair Dawn Chang. “Toxoplasmosis, or ʻtoxo’ for short, according to the USGS, continues to be the chief cause of death for infectious diseases for nēnē and critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals. We must keep cats out of native wildlife habitats or we’re likely to see more deaths among Hawai‘i’s State Bird population,” Chang added.
Raymond McGuire, the DOFAW biologist who collected the gosling and sent it to the lab to determine cause of death, has studied and worked with nēnē for decades. He said nēnē have particularly strong familial bonds and there’s one thing about this gosling’s death that is especially sad. ...
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2024/04/23/nr24-44/
April 23, 2024
(HILO, HAWAI‘I ISLAND) – Toxoplasmosis, an infection spread only in the feces of feral cats, is likely what killed a nēnē gosling last month in Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens.
The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) sent the diseased bird to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center for a necropsy (animal autopsy).
“This tragic incident highlights the problem of having feral cat colonies in areas that are known habitat for endangered or threatened species,” noted DLNR Chair Dawn Chang. “Toxoplasmosis, or ʻtoxo’ for short, according to the USGS, continues to be the chief cause of death for infectious diseases for nēnē and critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals. We must keep cats out of native wildlife habitats or we’re likely to see more deaths among Hawai‘i’s State Bird population,” Chang added.
Raymond McGuire, the DOFAW biologist who collected the gosling and sent it to the lab to determine cause of death, has studied and worked with nēnē for decades. He said nēnē have particularly strong familial bonds and there’s one thing about this gosling’s death that is especially sad. ...
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2024/04/23/nr24-44/
