The six Hawaiian crows released into the Hawaii island wilderness last week are alive and well, state and conservation officials reported Thursday.

“The alala appear to be adjusting well to their new home in the forest,” said Bryce Masuda, manager of San Diego Zoo Global’s Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.

The early success stands in stark contrast to the project’s aborted first release in late 2016, when in the first week two birds were fatally attacked by Hawaiian hawks and one didn’t survive a winter storm.

Over the last nine months, officials have worked to revamp the project, formulating a new strategy, consulting with experts, conducting more rigorous anti-predator training and finding a new release site within the Makaala Natural Area Reserve near Hilo.

On Sept. 26 two females and four males were released into the northern section of the reserve in an area of dense forest known to harbor fewer Hawaiian hawks, or io.

The alala have been monitored daily using tracking telemetry and very high-frequency transmitters.

So far the birds haven’t wandered off too far, spending much of their time together near the release aviary and roosting in one or two groups 50 to 75 meters apart, said Jackie Gaudioso-Levita, coordinator of the ‘Alala Project.

The birds are feeding on both the supplemental feed set out for them and on wild fruit in the forest, and they are vocalizing and calling out to each other in a way they would be expected to, she said.

Gaudioso-Levita said the birds have been together for nearly nine months and studied for their social interactions and behaviors. The long-term success of the group, she said, could depend on how they work and interact together, look out for one another and make calls of warning.

Masuda said so far no hawks have been observed in the area, and there have been no emergencies or close calls.

“It’s exciting to see them being curious and exploring their new forest habitat,” Masuda said.

The ‘Alala Project is an effort among the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and San Diego Zoo Global, which operates conservation centers on Maui and the Big Island that house about 125 alala — the entirety of the alala population.

The goal of the project is to re-establish a species that hasn’t been seen in the wild since 2002. The project plans to release a dozen birds per year over the next three to five years.

A second 2017 release of two females and three males is planned for mid-October. The five birds are already in the release aviary, growing accustomed to their surroundings, Gaudioso-Levita said.

Gaudioso-Levita said seeing the birds alive and healthy in the wild fills her with optimism for the species’ future, but she realizes there’s a long way to go.

“The most important thing is that we’re always learning, because it’s a long road full of challenges,” she said. “We are guaranteed to encounter more challenges.”

A high mortality rate is often associated with releasing animals into the wild. This is especially true for species like the Hawaiian crow that have been in captivity for longer periods of time. Scientists say anti-predator behaviors in wild animals can be lost after only a few generations in captivity.