...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM HST THURSDAY...
* WHAT...East winds 20 to 30 kt.
* WHERE...Oahu Leeward Waters, Kaiwi Channel, Maui County
Windward Waters, Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha
Channel, Big Island Leeward Waters and Big Island Southeast
Waters.
* WHEN...Until 6 AM HST Thursday.
* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller
vessels, should avoid navigating in these conditions.
&&
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii.
KAHULUI, Hawaii (KITV4) -- A smelly stowaway was found in a trap at a wildlife sanctuary on Maui, Monday morning.
According to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, the live skunk was found in the Kanahā Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary in Kahului. The trap is was caught in are typically used to catch feral cats and mongooses that get into the sanctuary.
The origin of the skunk is not known. However, agriculture officials say in January 2021, a skunk was spotted near the Maui Costco gas station, which is near the wildlife sanctuary. At the time, a response team set nine traps to try to catch the skunk, to no avail. It is unclear if this is the same skunk from that incident.
Because the origin of the skunk is unknown, agriculture said it had to be euthanized in order to be tested for rabies. Those test results are still pending.
Skunks are prohibited in Hawaii and are only allowed by permit for research and exhibition in a municipal zoo. In the US, skunks are recognized as one of the four primary wild carriers of rabies, a fatal viral disease of mammals that is often transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.
Hawaii is the only state in the US and one of the few places in the world that is free of rabies, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Live skunks have been spotted by stevedores and captured at Honolulu Harbor in June 2022, July 2021, January 2021 and February 2018. On Maui, a live skunk was captured at Kahului Harbor in December 2020 and one was captured at a trucking company in August 2018. All previously captured skunks have tested negative for rabies.
If you spot or capture a skunk, or any invasive species, you are asked to report it to the Hawaii Pest Hotline at 808-643-7378.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii.
