Workers at a freight warehouse near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport got an unexpected visitor Tuesday night when they spotted a live opossum tucked inside a fully loaded shipping container. Staff quickly resealed the container, then called in state biosecurity crews to handle the uninvited mainland mammal. Traps were set inside overnight, and by morning the opossum had been caught, humanely euthanized under animal and public health protocol, and prepared for a tissue sample that is now headed to the mainland for rabies testing.
How the Find Unfolded
An employee first saw the animal around 7:45 p.m., then staff at the airport's animal holding facility alerted the Plant Quarantine Branch. Within an hour, biosecurity inspectors were at the freight yard. Because the container was already packed tight, they set food and water traps inside, resealed the unit, and left it closed until morning. The next day they retrieved the trapped opossum and began the standard health and safety process, according to Hawaii News Now.
Biosecurity Protocol and Testing
Under established animal and human health rules, the opossum was humanely euthanized, and a tissue sample is being shipped to the mainland for rabies testing, the state agency said. Officials note that they have dealt with similar discoveries at harbors and freight yards in recent years, and that trapping, euthanizing, and testing nonnative mammals is routine procedure, according to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.
Why Officials Keep Watch
Hawai‘i is still one of the rare places in the world without established rabies, and the Department of Health credits strict animal quarantine and vigilant port inspections as key reasons why. The recent uptick in container and store captures has been tracked elsewhere, see Opossum Intrusions Rise, which underscores why agriculture inspectors concentrate checks at ports and freight facilities, according to the Hawaii Department of Health.
What to Do if You See One
Officials are asking anyone who spots an unexpected mammal or other illegal animal to call the statewide pest hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378) and to skip the DIY capture routine. Past notices that spell out trapping, euthanasia, and testing procedures are available from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, which urges businesses and the public to report sightings immediately, according to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.
