Mysterious large feline reported on Maui
By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor
WAILUKU, Maui — A large catlike animal has been reported prowling the lower Olinda area in Upcountry Maui.
• Call state wildlife biologist Fern Duvall at (808) 873-3502 or (808) 984-8100. After hours and on weekends, call the Maui Police Department nonemergency number at (808) 244-6400.
Nine sightings have been reported since mid-December, the last two reports coming June 9. The mystery animal has been described as weighing as much as 100 pounds and resembling a dark brown cat with a large head and long tail.
If you see it
State wildlife biologist Fern Duvall isn't ready to concede that the animal is a cougar or other member of the large cat family, but he is taking the reports seriously because of the consistency of the sightings.
"We've had these reports and they are all very much the same. People are seeing something," he said.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Maui Invasive Species Committee have set out a live-catch trap baited with meat in an effort to capture the unidentified animal. Traps were set out after earlier sightings with no results.
Duvall said there haven't been any reports of missing pets or livestock, or raids on garbage cans or other food sources that might indicate a large predator is on the loose. It could be that the animal is well-fed or not efficient in hunting and is being released by its owners, he said.
Aside from public safety concerns, Duvall said the creature could be another instance of an animal being illegally imported to Hawai'i, which does not allow people to possess tigers, leopards or other large cats.
Olinda residents are being asked to report any sightings of the catlike animal, any unexplained missing pets, abnormal pet behavior, unusual animal calls, or dead animals.
Authorities should be contacted immediately; do not approach or attempt to catch the animal.
