Honolulu Harbor has become the unexpected landing spot for an uninvited guest: another live skunk was apprehended this past week, marking the second such capture in Hawai‘i in recent days. The stowaway was discovered at Pier 1, leading U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reach out to the state's agriculture inspectors, who set traps in hope of catching what is considered an invasive and potentially destructive species in the islands.
Despite a diligent initial search proving fruitile, the traps—baited with cat food—ultimately proved successful. According to a statement from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB), the skunk was humanely euthanized and is now undergoing testing for rabies, a viral disease of mammals that can be fatal.
This is not the first time skunks have popped up unexpectedly on the Hawaiian shores. A skunk was captured at Hilo Harbor just days earlier, also suspected of hitchhiking via cargo ship, and has since tested negative for rabies. Other captures in the past few years at various locations around the state, including a Honolulu resident's mongoose trap and a Maui trucking company site, have also turned up negative for the virus.
In a state that prides itself on being free of rabies, the prohibited status of skunks is non-negotiable. The species, known to have a penchant for eggs, could decimate Hawai‘i's native ground-nesting birds if they were allowed to establish a population. In the U.S. mainland, as well as other parts of continents such as South America, Canada, and Mexico, skunks are recognized as one of the primary wild carriers of rabies. The state is urging residents and visitors to report any sightings or captures of illegal and invasive species to their toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).
