(BIVN) – Three live opossums were recently captured in Hawaiʻi, and one was found in Hilo. 

The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture says the first of the three was captured in a trap set by Hilo Plant Quarantine inspectors on September 15 at Pier 1 at Hilo Harbor. 

“Three days before, an employee from a shipping company reported seeing an opossum running between vehicles on the dock,” the Department of Agriculture stated in a news release. “Agricultural inspectors were dispatched and saw the opossum crawl into the undercarriage of a vehicle, but were unable to physically reach the animal as it moved further into the engine. The vehicle was moved into a 40-foot container where traps with cat food and water were deployed.” 

photo of the opossum captured on September 15, 2025, at Pier 1 at Hilo Harbor, courtesy the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture

The other two opossums were captured today (October 21) at Honolulu Harbor. From the Department of Agriculture: 

At 6:45 a.m. today, a shipping company reported seeing an opossum running round in the container yard at Pier 1 overnight. Agriculture inspectors from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) responded within the hour and captured the opossum using a pole and a net after it took shelter under a shipping container.

At 11:00 a.m., a different shipping company on the opposite end of the harbor reported that it had captured an opossum in a cat trap after observing the animal running around the container yard around Pier 51. PQB inspectors were immediately dispatched and retrieved the animal.

Officials say all three opossums were humanely euthanized and submitted for rabies testing. “The Hilo opossum tested negative for rabies,” the ag department said. “Tissue samples from the two opossums caught today are being sent to the mainland for testing.”

Opossums are native to North America and are omnivorous, with diets that range from insects, bird eggs and rodents, to fruits and vegetables.