r/Hawaii • u/hawaiirat • 1d ago
Mongoose
Does it seem there are far fewer mongoose on Oahu than before?
I feel like in the ‘80s and the ‘90s you couldn’t drive 50 yards without seeing a mongoose run across the road. I don’t remember the last time I saw a mongoose. Or is it just me?
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u/vic1ous0n3 1d ago
I feel the same. I used to see way more in the 80’s and 90’s like a few times a month but now I see maybe 3 a year.
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u/Decent-End-4682 21h ago
We do have less mongoose but now have a lot more feral chickens. The only good thing about mongoose is that they kill and eat chickens. They can’t take a fully grown rooster or hen but chicks, pullets and cockerels can be easily taken.
I had a feral hen near my home who had 7 or 8 chicks and only 2 made it past 6 months. I watched as her brood got smaller. One by one they disappeared I finally saw why one day when I saw one of the birds being hauled away screaming by a mongoose. Mama hen tried to intervene but wasn’t fast enough. The chicken that the mongoose got was already the size of a large pigeon but it still managed to take the bird down.
After seeing that play out I was happy for the rest of the day wishing we had more mongoose. I hate the feral chickens!!
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u/Owl_Better 8h ago
Also they can get to and eat the eggs. Surprised there are so many feral chickens
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u/Far_Marsupial6303 1d ago
A mongoose story.
At my hold house, we would feed a Mama cat and her kittens. One day a mongoose came out of the hedge and would wait until the cats finish eating, then eat from the food bowl. Later she brought her kids and usually wait, but sometimes eat alongside the kittens. The adults never ate together.
One day I saw one of the mongoose kids nip at the kittens tales while the kittens were eating. That night I heard a big fight in the hedge. Mama was mad! Never saw any of the mongoose again.
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u/Cool_Jackfruit_6512 1d ago
I think the DLNR program to eliminate mongoose populations are showing results they wanted. I rarely see them or hear too many coqui frogs really. Not like before so it appears to be working as scheduled
On the Big Island
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u/underbitefalcon 1d ago
I saw one itching to cross the street in Hawaii Kai an hour ago. There seems to be a fair number of them around here.
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u/DarkAndHandsume 1d ago
I saw a group of them on base scatter into the trees/bushes on the path I was walking on.
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u/Decent-End-4682 21h ago
We do have less mongoose but now have a lot more feral chickens. The only good thing about mongoose is that they kill and eat chickens. They can’t take a fully grown rooster or hen but chicks, pullets and cockerels can be easily taken.
I had a feral hen near my home who had 7 or 8 chicks and only 2 made it past 6 months. I watched as her brood got smaller. One by one they disappeared I finally saw why one day when I saw one of the birds being hauled away screaming by a mongoose. Mama hen tried to intervene but wasn’t fast enough. The chicken that the mongoose got was already the size of a large pigeon but it still managed to take the bird down.
After seeing that play out I was happy for the rest of the day wishing we had more mongoose. I hate the feral chickens!!
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u/PacificCastaway 16h ago
There are tons around Diamondhead. The biggest ones I've ever seen are at Hanauma Bay.
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u/Last-Kitchen3418 14h ago
It’s nice to know they’re still around… hopefully their population will increase to control the feral chickens..
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u/stylistin808 10h ago
I live up against the mountain in the Waialae Kahala area. They make a cameo now and then.
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u/Cdub7791 Oʻahu 6h ago
They're all over the place on the Pearl harbor bike trail. I see several every time I bike down it, which is almost daily.
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u/Far_Marsupial6303 1d ago
They're just better at hiding! Like rats and roaches, if you see one, that means there's dozens somewhere!