Opossums rarely are given a second thought in the U.S. mainland due to their prolific range, but in Hawaii the animals are a big concern. Officials captured one in January at a store in Kona, sparking more fears of the animals gaining a foothold on the island and potential impacts on other species.
A 6-pound possum was caught on January 6 outside a big box store in Kona. It was transported to Oahu for testing of rabies. It was the first one captured this year. Three opossums were captured in traps in 2024, the last of those in mid-December near a store in Iwilei, an area near Honolulu on the island of Oahu. A passerby saw the animal and notified officials, who contacted the state Department of Agriculture.
A trap was set in a storage container nearby, and the animal was in the trap the next morning. Officials said they don’t know where the opossum came from or how it got on the island. The storage container was not used for shipping, they said. The opossum was a 9-pound male.
Two others were captured in Honolulu this past year, in July and August, before the one in December was trapped. While opossums primarily feed on plants, they’re omnivores and could impact other wildlife species such as birds or small animals.
Opossums are found in the eastern half of the United States mainland and along the West Coast.
