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COURTESY HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
A skunk was found today at a Kahului pier.
A live skunk was found in a maritime container at a Kahului pier today, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture reported.
A biologist surveying for stranded sea bird fledglings saw the skunk, which was reported to be about 15 inches long from head to tail, roaming in the container yard at Pier 1 this morning. The biologist reported the skunk, and Maui plant quarantine inspectors with the agriculture department along with harbor security were able to capture the animal.
No other skunks were found in the area, and DOA inspectors are investigating how the skunk made its way to Maui.
In February 2018, stevedores caught a live skunk at Pier 1 at Honolulu Harbor in the first recorded capture of a live skunk in Hawaii. Later that year, in August, a live skunk was found in a container at a trucking company on Maui.
Both skunks tested negative for rabies. A rabies test for the skunk caught this morning will be sent to the mainland.
Skunks are prohibited in Hawaii and are only allowed for research and for zoo exhibits.
They’re one of four wild animals considered to be the primary carriers of the rabies virus, according to the agriculture department. Hawaii is the only state in the country that is rabies-free.
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