A live skunk was recently captured in Kaka‘ako Waterfront Park by Honolulu police after they responded to a call reporting that a skunk was running around the park.

After contacting the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, inspectors arrived at the scene and took custody of the skunk which police contained in a plastic trash bin. The skunk was then humanely euthanized to test for the rabies virus.

The origin of the skunk is not known; however, the park is adjacent to Honolulu Harbor where skunks have been previously captured after apparently hitchhiking aboard cargo ships.

Skunks are prohibited in Hawai‘i as they are avid egg-eaters and would pose a threat to Hawai‘i’s native ground-nesting birds if they become established. They inhabit the mainland U.S., Canada, South America, Mexico and other parts of the world. In the U.S., they are recognized as one of the four primary wild carriers of rabies, a fatal viral disease of mammals that is often transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. Hawai‘i is the only state in the U.S. and one of the few places in the world that is free of rabies.

Sightings or captures of illegal and invasive species should be reported to the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).

Photo credit: Department of Agriculture