Game expert plans Maui traps
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
KAHULUI, Maui — A rugged 6-foot-3, clad in cowboy hat, boots and a fancy belt buckle, Stan Cunningham not only looks the part of a big-game trapper but has a bit of the swagger you might expect of a hired gun.
Timothy Hurley • The Honolulu Advertiser
"I'm excited," Cunningham told a news conference yesterday, the third day of his weeklong Maui visit to train local wildlife officials in the methods of capturing the elusive mystery cat of Olinda. "I really like catching stuff, and Hawai'i probably isn't a bad place to do it."
State wildlife biologist Fern Duvall holds up an outline of paw prints traced in Olinda, where a leopard, jaguar or other large cat has been reported since December.
But the veteran Arizona Game and Fish Department research biologist, whose resume lists the capture of more than 200 big-game animals, is also a realist.
"What it takes to get a cat trapped is time — and a couple of months is not an unreasonable amount of time," he said.
Since his arrival Wednesday, Cunningham has toured the Olinda area by helicopter, met with veterinarians who will be on standby in case the animal is trapped, and scouted the rugged Upcountry on foot for spots to set up leg-hold snare traps.
Before his state-funded trip ends Oct. 29, Cunningham hopes to set 10 to 15 of the snares and identify other areas where they can be placed.
"I want to catch it," he said. "But the odds of me catching it are pretty slim. I want to try everything I've ever done and teach (local wildlife officials) how to do it."
State wildlife officials believe a big cat — probably brought into the state illegally as a pet and released into the wild — has been prowling the Olinda area since at least December. Residents have reported sightings and animal calls in the night, and authorities have found paw prints and other evidence.
The last sighting was Oct. 10. The next day, two people reported being awakened by three loud animal calls about 30 to 40 feet from their house, and officials got a clear set of tracks in moist soil.
Cunningham said the size of the paw prints — 4 by 3 1/2 inches — points to an animal of more than 150 pounds, the size of a large mountain lion. But most recent accounts describe a black cat, so it is more likely a jaguar or leopard, he said.
At the news conference, Cunningham demonstrated the spring-loaded leg-hold snares planned for areas frequented by the cat.
While such traps are controversial and have been banned on public lands in some areas, they are commonly used by researchers and government agents for public safety.
Cunningham said the traps, when set up properly, target only large animals and leave them unharmed. In more than a decade, he said, only two animals have been harmed by his snares — trapped bears attacked by other bears.
"Cats don't fight this," he said, holding a metallic cable. "They're real smart. They realize it hurts to fight it. They usually just stop and lay down."
Later, he said: "There's no way to catch (the big cat) without some risk, but it's minimal."
If the animal is caught alive, there are plans to ship it to the Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo.
Contact Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
