A live mongoose was captured at Nāwiliwili Small Boat Harbor. on Kauaʻi, where the invasive species does not have an established population.

Members of the Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee (KISC) deployed 12 traps baited with fresh coconuts along the jetty wall at the harbor after receiving reports of a possible mongoose along the jetty. The following morning, a juvenile female mongoose was found in one of the traps. KISC handed the mongoose over to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB), who is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Wildlife Services to complete an analysis.

While Kaua‘i does not have an established population of mongoose, they are known to hitchhike to Kaua‘i from infested areas. They are established on O‘ahu, Maui, Moloka‘i  and Hawai‘i Island and are a threat to native ground-nesting birds.

In a multiagency effort to protect Kaua‘i from the devastating impacts of an established mongoose population, teams from KISC, DAB and additional agencies respond to mongoose sightings at high-risk sites. Five live mongoose have been captured since response efforts were strengthened in 2012. The last mongoose caught on Kaua‘i was a pregnant female mongoose captured at Nāwiliwili Harbor in 2023.

Any suspected mongoose sightings should be reported to KISC at 808-821-1490, the state toll-free PEST HOTLINE at: 808-643-PEST(7378) or online at: 643pest.org

Photo credit: Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture