DENVER ZOO HATCHES TWO, NAY, THREE NĒNĒ GEESE
Rare Hawaiian Geese are Zoo's First Hatchlings of Their Species
Aloha! Denver Zoo is celebrating the hatching of three nēnē, or Hawaiian, geese. Two hatched May 7 and the third hatched May 9. These goslings are the first to hatch in several years at Denver Zoo. Though the three female goslings will eventually be on display, they are currently growing and developing under the watchful eye of bird keepers in the zoo's Bird Propagation Center.
The name "nēnē" comes from the sound of their soft calls, which sound like "nay nay." The goose is the state bird of Hawaii and can now only be found on four of the Hawaiian Islands; Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, and Kauai.
With a wild population of about 1,200 individuals, they are classified as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). This is due both to a lack of a suitable habitat as well as falling prey to animals such as small Indian mongoose, pigs, dogs, rats and cats.
The nēnē goose is closely related to the Canada goose. On average, they stand about 16 inches tall and weigh between three to five pounds. Adults have black heads, bills, legs and feet. Their necks are known to have deep ruts of feathers and a solid black stripe running down the back. Unlike other geese, their feet are only half-webbed, which allows them to more easily walk and run across the rocky, uneven terrain of lava beds. They are known, though to inhabit grasslands, pastures and coastal dunes as well.
DENVER ZOO HATCHES TWO, NAY, THREE NĒNĒ GEESE 
