MAKAWAO, Hawaii. (AP) — Five Hawaiian crows on Wednesday were released on Maui for the first time as part of an ongoing effort to return the species to its home, conservationists said.

The Hawaiian crows, or alala, were last found on Hawaii’s Big Island, but they went extinct in the wild in 2002, officials with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said in a statement. The birds, described as intelligent and charismatic, are the last survivor of all the Hawaiian crow species. Habitat loss, predation and disease by introduced species are threats, among other factors.

“The translocation of alala to Maui is a monumental step forward in conserving the species and a testament to the importance of partnership in reversing biodiversity loss,” said Megan Owen, Ph.D., vice president of conservation science at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The release is the result of years of preparation by multiple organizations and agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the University of Hawaii, she said.

The five alala released included two females and three males that spent months in a social group at Keauhou and Maui Bird conservation centers to establish strong bonds. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance evaluated the birds for the release based on how well they foraged for food and responded to predators. The birds were also assessed by veterinarians.

“It means a lot to me to care for the alala,” Keanini Aarona, avian recovery specialist at Maui Bird Conservation Center, said in the statement. “To me, and in my culture, the alala are like our ancestors — our kūpuna. The forest wouldn’t be there without these birds.”

Thirty of the birds were reintroduced between 2016 and 2020 in the Big Island’s Puu Makaala Natural Forest Reserve. After several successful years, alala numbers began to decline and reintroduction efforts were paused, officials said. The remaining alala were returned to human care.