On Wednesday morning, an unexpected sight greeted an office worker in downtown Honolulu—a two-foot-long opossum perched on a window ledge outside their building. Concerned for public safety, HPD officers quickly responded and successfully captured the animal using a broomstick and a plastic bin.
After the capture, inspectors from the Department of Agriculture took custody of the opossum, which they assessed to be an adult or older juvenile.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture expressed uncertainty about how the opossum ended up in Honolulu, suggesting that such animals occasionally stow away in shipping containers. This incident isn’t isolated; previous captures of opossums in Hawaii have occurred over the years.
In June 2016, workers found one during cargo offloading at Honolulu Harbor, and in July 2015, another was captured near the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Office in Kaka‘ako, an area known for cargo arrivals.
Unexpected Opossum Encounter in Honolulu Prompts Rapid Response and Public Safety MeasuresIn July 2012, a similar incident occurred when an opossum was caught in a cat trap at a warehouse on Sand Island, followed by another discovery in August 2011 during unloading at the Ward Center area.
The opossum’s presence in Hawaii dates back further, with two instances in 2005—one found inside a military cargo plane at Hickam Air Force Base and another in the mail receiving area of Honolulu International Airport.
As a precautionary measure, the Department of Agriculture indicated that they would conduct rabies testing on the captured opossum. This procedure ensures public safety and adheres to protocols concerning potentially hazardous wildlife.
The capture underscores the occasional challenges posed by wildlife inadvertently introduced to new environments, highlighting the importance of vigilance in monitoring and managing such occurrences.