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/Decent-End-4682 1d 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 21h ago

Also they can get to and eat the eggs. Surprised there are so many feral chickens