Biologists capture one of the last remaining akikiki birds in hopes of saving the species before it goes extinct

What You Need To Know

• • The population of akikiki has dropped to just two male birds at Halehaha on Kauai

• • The main culprit is mosquitoes, which infect akikiki with deadly avian malaria and the insects have been able to access higher-altitude forests as climate change makes these areas warmer

• • Now, the Kauai Forest Recovery Project hopes to bring the last few birds into captivity to protect them from avian malaria

• On Sept. 2, a rescue team was able to capture Carrot, one of the two akikiki still in Halehaha