State hopes to get
Maui cat on filmTracks and maimed traps
have been seen by wildlife officials
WAILUKU >> State wildlife officials say they hope to catch a large cat on camera in lower Olinda, where some residents have noticed a dramatic drop in the wild chicken population.
So far, the large cat, possibly a 4-foot-long jaguar or leopard, has avoided capture by state officials.
Instead of taking the store-bought chicken bait and getting caught, the animal has been using one of the four traps for batting practice for the last two days.
"We did observe that one trap which was found flipped and twisted ... Thursday was again twisted and flipped (yesterday)," said Fern Duvall, wildlife biologist for the state Department of Land & Natural Resources. "The wire nearest to the bait had been pulled out, thus deforming it."
Duvall said the pulling required quite a bit of strength.
The trap was reset.
Wildlife officials found new tracks near, and in the general area of, a trap.
State wildlife officials installed a camera with motion sensors yesterday to photograph any animal that might enter a trap.
Duvall said an ordinary feral cat was found in the trap and released.
Catching the large cat has not been easy in lower Olinda, where homes are often acres apart and next to dry-land areas with a mixture of pastures, high grass and eucalyptus trees.
Several lower Olinda residents have reported seeing a large cat, one person as late as Tuesday morning.
Workers also appeared to find signs of a cat's presence in the gulch on Tuesday, including deep tree scratches and the remains of eight to 10 doves.
State officials plan to continue to monitor the traps daily throughout the weekend and have asked residents in lower Olinda to exercise caution in protecting their family, livestock and pets. Officials said residents should not attempt to approach the large animal or try to capture it.
Olinda residents Willie and Susan Wachter, who spotted the animal on June 9, have said they have noticed a decrease in wild chickens in the gulch where they and others have spotted the cat.
State officials urge lower Olinda residents to remain calm but alert and report sightings or unusual events to the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife on Maui, 873-3502, or Maui police dispatch, 244-6400.