(BIVN) – A live opossum has been caught near Hilo Harbor.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity announced the small mammal was captured on Wednesday by workers at a freight transporting warehouse. The opossum was humanely euthanized, officials say, and a tissue sample is being sent to the mainland for rabies testing.
Hawai‘i is the only state in the U.S. and one of the few places in the world that is free of rabies. Opossums are less likely to carry rabies than other mammals, but they are carriers of parasites and other diseases, the biosecurity department says. Opossums are prohibited in Hawai‘i and are only allowed by permit for research and exhibition in a municipal zoo.
The Department described the capture of the animal in a Thursday news release:
At approximately 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12, warehouse workers observed an opossum within their container staging area. The workers initially contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which subsequently notified the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, Biosecurity (DAB), Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) in Hilo. PQB staff responded immediately and upon arrival to the site discovered freight workers had already contained the opossum, enabling PQB staff to retrieve it without incident. PQB staff checked the rest of the area and found no other opossums.
There have been several opossums captured in Hawaiʻi over the years. One was caught by Plant Quarantine Branch inspectors at Hilo Harbor in September 2025, and another at a big-box store in Kona in January 2025.
Opossums are native to North America and are omnivorous. Their diets range from insects, bird eggs, and rodents, to fruits and vegetables.
Anyone spotting an illegal animal should immediately call the statewide toll-free PEST HOTLINE at 808-643-PEST (7378).
