Opossum captured at Hilo freight warehouse
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A live opossum was captured Aug. 12 at a freight warehouse near Hilo Harbor, according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.
Warehouse employees spotted the animal at about 10:15 a.m. in a container staging area and contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which notified the state Plant Quarantine Branch.
The workers had contained the opossum by the time state inspectors arrived, allowing it to be safely retrieved. Inspectors searched the surrounding area and found no other opossums.
The animal was euthanized and submitted for rabies testing. A tissue sample will be sent to the mainland for analysis. Hawaii is the only U.S. state and one of the few places in the world considered free of rabies.
Opossums are prohibited in Hawaii and may be kept only with a permit for research or exhibition at a municipal zoo.
Native to North America, opossums are omnivores that eat insects, bird eggs, rodents, fruits and vegetables. Although they are less likely than some other mammals to carry rabies, they can carry parasites and other diseases.
Several opossums have been captured in the state in recent years. One was found at a Maui car dealership in November 2025, another was captured at Hilo Harbor in September 2025, and one was caught in a shipping container near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in May.
Anyone who spots an illegal animal should call the statewide PEST Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).