State officials said two nene born and raised on Maui were struck and killed by vehicles in separate incidents over the weekend.

On Sunday, witnesses reported seeing one of the nene being fed by someone from a stopped car on Amala Place in Kahului, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The other nene was hit near the air cargo bypass at Kahului Airport.

DLNR biologists remind people that feeding protected wildlife such as nene is not only illegal, but can endanger them because they learn to associate food with cars.

They also remind Maui drivers to slow down because at this time of year, many active nesting pairs of nene, with goslings, have been seen in the Kahului area. Many nest and feed around the Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary, which is surrounded by urban roads and highways, officials said.

“Drivers have the rare privilege of being able to spot native wildlife on daily commutes, but that comes with the responsibility of driving with aloha around our unique and endangered species,” said DLNR in a news release.

While nene are powerful flyers, officials said, they have difficulty dodging speeding cars because they are large birds, and need a longer flight path than smaller birds to take flight.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii island, meanwhile, is closing the east entrance to Uekahuna parking lot, along with part of Crater Rim Trail, to protect a pair of nesting nene in the area.

The west entrance to the parking lot will serve as both entrance and exit, officials said.

The eastern overlook of Kilauea caldera at the USGS triangulation station remains open, with the closest access by foot from Kilauea Overlook. The western overlook of Kilauea caldera also remains open, and is accessible from the Uekahuna parking lot.

“Safeguarding native wildlife is part of our mission at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park,” said park wildlife biologist Kristina Paxton in a news release. “Nene are very vulnerable to being killed by vehicles, and this partial closure improves their chances for survival.”

Nene are federally listed as a threatened species, and though their populations are on the rebound, they remain critically low, according to park officials. Nesting season is from September through May, when many of the birds are seen on or near park roads, making them especially vulnerable to being killed by vehicles this time of year.

Park officials encourage everyone to help protect nene by slowing down, watching for them near roads, and never feeding them. Officials recommend staying at least 60 feet away.