Another live opossum was recently captured in Honolulu.

Freight workers in Kalihi were unloading construction material from a 40-foot shipping container when they spotted an animal that looked like a large rat run and hide inside the container. The employees immediately reported it to the Plant Quarantine Branch of the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA).

Agriculture inspectors were dispatched and when the container was opened, the opossum was sitting on top of a pallet and quickly captured. Two traps were set inside the container overnight and a check by inspectors yesterday morning found no other animals.

The opossum measured about 1.5 to 2 feet in length from head to tail and appears to be male adult or older juvenile. It is likely that it hitchhiked in the container which was loaded in California. Because the origin of the animal is unknown, the opossum is being tested for rabies as a precaution.

This past July, a live opossum was captured on a window ledge of an office building in Downtown Honolulu. The origin of that opossum, which tested negative for rabies, has not been determined.

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.

Anyone spotting an illegal animal should call the statewide toll-free PEST HOTLINE at 808-643-PEST (7378).

 

Photo credit: Department of Agriculture