Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 11, 1 November 1989 — Naturally Hawaiian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Naturally Hawaiian

By Patrick Ching Artist/ Environmentalist

A devastating introduction

Anyone who's lived in Hawai'i is probably very familiar with the small Indian mongoose. These animals that have the general appearance of a weasel and are more closely related to cats than dogs, are indigenous to the old world where they range from Africa and

the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia. They are well known for their ability to fight and kill snakes although they are not always victorious in such battles.

In Hawai'i it is not uneommon to see one or more mongooses rummaging through trash cans or scurrying across roadsides, especially in suburban and rural areas on the islands of Hawai'i, O ahu, Maui and Moloka'i. Though they are most plentiful in dry lowland areas, mongooses are known to live at elevations up to 10,000 feet. The first mongooses were brought to Hawai'i in 1883. They were introduced to the Big Island via Jamaica for the purpose of controlling rodents in the sugar eane fields. The mongoose did infacteat rodents as part of their diet; however, being that rats are most active at night and mongoose hunt during the day, the idea of having mongoose control the rodent population was not altogether successful. Years after the mongoose arrived in Hawai'ithe unforeseen ill effects of this introduced predator became more apparent. In addition to eating rats and miee, the mongoose preyed readily on domestic poultry, game birds, and native birds as well. The nene goose, the pueo (native short-eared owl), and all native wetland and groundnesting birds were especially vulnerable prey for the mongoose, who not only ate the birds and their chicks but their eggs as well.

The island of Kaua'i has the largest popufation of native wetland birds of all the Hawaiian islands. It also has a thriving population of native Hawaiian owls. The success rate of these birds on Kaua'i could be directly related to the fact that the mongoose never became permanently established on that island. Upon request of the Kaua'i sugar planters, crates of mongooses were sent to that island, however, upon arriving on the dock, the crates of mongooses were thrown into the oeean. One source c!aims that a dock worker who tried to pet the animals was bitten on the hand, and in a rage

threw the crates off the dock. Another story goes that a concerned Kaua'i resident threw the crates off the dock because he didn't want the vicious animals on the island. Whatever the reason, Kaua'i has been spared the destruction of native wildlife caused by mongooses on other islands. Recently, sightings of the small Indian mongoose have been reported on Kaua'i. Wildlife officials and residents alike are doing their best to see that these animals do not become established there. To report a sighting on Kaua'i, contact the State DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife at 245-4433.