Invasive mongoose captured at Lihue harbor
By Jeremiah Estrada
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LIHUE, Hawaii (KITV) — A live mongoose was captured in Lihue on Friday morning, as the animal is an invasive species on Kauai.
The Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC) received reports of a possible mongoose along the jetty of Nawailiwili Small Boar Harbor. In an attempt to capture it, 12 traps with fresh coconuts as bait were set up along the jetty wall on Thursday, Sept. 4.
A young female mongoose was found in one of the traps the following morning, Sept. 5. KISC handed the mongoose over to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the agency is completing an analysis with the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Wildlife Services.
Mongoose are not an established animal population on the Garden Isle, however they are known to hitchhike to the island from infested areas. Mongoose are established on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and the Big Island and they are a threat to native ground-nesting birds.
The last mongoose that was caught on Kauai was a pregnant female mongoose captured at Nawiliwili Harbor in 2023. Response efforts were strengthened in 2012 resulting in five mongoose being caught since then.
Any suspected mongoose sightings should be reported to KISC at 808-821-1490, the state’s pest hotline at 808-643-PEST(7378) or online at: 643pest.org.
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