HONOLULU (KHON2) — A live skunk was captured last night at the Kakaʻako Waterfront Park by the Honolulu Police Department, the state Department of Agriculture confirmed.
Police responded to a call regarding the skunk and brought in the Department of Agriculture, with three agriculture inspectors arriving at about 10:30 p.m. to the scene.
Upon the inspectors’ arrival, police had contained the skunk in a plastic bin. The skunk was taken into custody and humanely euthanized to test for the rabies virus, the department said.
Officials say the origins of the skunk is unclear, but the park’s nearby location to Honolulu Harbor could indicate that the skunk caught a ride on board a cargo ship. Skunks have been caught in that area before, according to experts.
Skunks have been caught around the islands multiple times, but the department said that all previously captured skunks have tested negative for rabies.
As an avid egg-eater, skunks are prohibited in Hawaiʻi. Experts say the species could pose a threat to Hawaiʻi’s native ground-nesting birds and are one of the four primary wild carriers of rabies.
Hawaiʻi is the only state in the country, and one of the few places in the world, that is free of rabies. Those who witness an illegal or invasive species are urged to call the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at (808) 643-7378.