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N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department crew is airlifting sage grouse into the state in hopes of saving the native bird.

The operation, which began last week, aims to capture enough wild birds in Wyoming to bring in 40 females and 20 males.

The ongoing project to transplant the birds has reached an air of desperation as the once plentiful bird has declined to near extinction in the state.

Upland game management supervisor Aaron Robinson says the project faces challenges, including finding female sage grouse.

The West Nile virus and the lost big sagebrush habitat, fragmented by the development of oil and gas wells, have contributed to the loss of the wild birds over time.