Nene geese on Oahu for first time since 1700s

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HONOLULU — Endangered Hawaiian geese have been spotted in the wild on Oahu for the first time in centuries.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday a pair of nene have nested and successfully hatched three goslings at a national wildlife refuge near Kahuku on the North Shore. The agency says this is the first time the birds have been seen on Oahu since the 1700s.

Spokesman Ken Foote says the geese found their own way to Oahu and weren’t brought to the island by humans.

He declined to release further information, saying the agency will hold a news conference at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday.

The bird is an endangered species found only in the Hawaiian Islands. There are more than 2,000 remaining in the wild.