HONOLULU (AP) — Axis deer, a species native to India that were presented as a gift from Hong Kong to the king of Hawaii in 1868, have fed hunters and their families on the rural island of Molokai for generations. For the community of about 7,500 people where self-sustainability is a way of life, the invasive deer are a cherished food source but also a danger to the island ecosystem. Now, the proliferation of the non-native deer and drought on Molokai have brought the problem into focus. Hundreds of deer have died from starvation, stretching thin the island’s limited resources.
