LIHUE (HawaiiNewsNow) – A live mongoose has been captured on Kauai, where the invasive species does not have an established population. <\/p>\n
In a multiagency effort to prevent mongoose establishment, members of the Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC) captured the critter at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
KISC had deployed 12 traps baited with fresh coconuts along the jetty wall at the harbor on Sept. 4, after receiving reports of a possible mongoose along the jetty. <\/p>\n
The following morning, a juvenile female mongoose was found in one of the traps. <\/p>\n
KISC handed the mongoose over to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB), who is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to complete an analysis. <\/p>\n
While Kauai does not have an established population of mongoose, they are known to hitchhike to Kauai from infested areas. <\/p>\n
Mongoose are established on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Hawaii Island and are a threat to native ground-nesting birds. <\/p>\n
Five live mongoose have been captured since response efforts were strengthened in 2012. <\/p>\n
The last mongoose caught on Kauai was a pregnant female mongoose captured at Nawiliwili Harbor in 2023. <\/p>\n