State agencies fail to find proof of reported big cat
A pair of state agencies have been unable to corroborate supposed sightings of a large cat on the Big Island after failing to detect any unusual animals for weeks.
In August, a Holualoa man anonymously reported seeing a wildcat near his property, taking some blurry photographs of the animal before it scampered away.
Following this sighting, the Department of Land and Natural Resources investigated the area, setting up bait stations and trail cameras throughout Holualoa. But after three weeks, the department concluded that it is impossible to determine whether such an animal exists on the island.
“Staff only saw pigs and small cats in their images,” the department said in a press release. “Sightings reported from all over Hawaii Island are unlikely due to the distances and terrain even a large animal would need to traverse.”
The Department of Agriculture had no better luck in confirming the cat’s existence, even after another supposed sighting of a large animal near the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook on Monday.
“Agricultural inspectors … have relayed messages to the individual who took the photo in Holualoa in mid-August, but he has yet to contact inspectors,” said DOA Spokeswoman Janelle Saneishi in a statement. “The staff at the Manago Hotel says the visitors who said they saw a large cat near the hotel have also declined to be identified or to be interviewed by agricultural inspectors. No one at the hotel directly saw the animal. Without cooperation and information from the eyewitnesses, the department is not able to determine the credibility of the sightings.”
If the animal is real, its presence on the island is illegal, as state law prohibits the transportation of non-native species such as wildcats into the state. Anyone convicted of possessing or smuggling such an animal into the state could be fined up to $200,000 or jailed up to three years.
Anyone who sees a possible illegal animal, including a wildcats, should contact the DOA’s Toll-Free Pest Hotline at (808) 643-PEST.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
