A live opossum was captured outside a downtown office building yesterday morning.

An area office worker saw the opossum on a window ledge in the gated doorway outside the Austin Building at 223 S. King St. and reported it to the Honolulu Police Department. Arriving officers were able to capture the animal using a broomstick and a plastic bin.

Plant Quarantine inspectors from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture took custody of the opossum, which measured about 2 feet long from head to tail and appeared to be an adult or older juvenile.

It is not known how the opossum arrived in Honolulu, although they have been known to stow away in shipping containers.

Opossums are native to North America and are omnivorous, with diets that range from insects, bird eggs and rodents, to fruits and vegetables. Although opossums are less likely to carry rabies than other mammals, they are carriers of parasites and other diseases. Because the origin of the animal is unknown, the opossum is being tested for rabies as a precaution.

 

 

Photo credit: Department of Agriculture