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Small Indian Mongoose – Management and Eradication Using DOC 250 Kill Traps, First Lessons from Hawaii

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Peters, D.; L. Wilson, S Mosher, J. Rohrer, J. Hanley, A. Nadig, M. Silbernagle, M. Nishimoto, and J. Jeffrey. Small Indian mongoose – management and eradication using DOC 250 kill traps, first lessons from Hawaii Small Indian mongoose – management and eradication using DOC 250 kill traps, first lessons from Hawaii D. Peters1, L. Wilson2, S Mosher3, J. Rohrer3, J. Hanley4, A. Nadig5, M. Silbernagle4,M. Nishimoto6, and J. Jeffrey7 1Department of Conservation, P.O Box 10420, Wellington, New Zealand. <[email protected]>. 2Department of Conservation, P.O Box 29, Te Anau, New Zealand. 3Oahu Army Natural Resource Programme, Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. 4US Fish and Wildlife Service, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. 5US Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA 6US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kealia Pond, Maui, Hawaii, USA. 7Ponopono Road, Hamakua Coast, Hilo, Hawaii Is., Hawaii, USA. Abstract Human introduction of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) has had a catastrophic impact on native fauna of many islands around the world. In Hawaii, the most common method of mongoose control is by using live-traps, followed by euthanasia either by shooting or carbon dioxide poisoning after capture. This is a labour-intensive process, especially as live-traps must be checked every day to comply with humane requirements. The DOC 250 trap was trialled on two Hawaiian islands to test its feasibility as a humane kill-trap for use in mongoose control. The DOC 250 trap was effective in humanely killing mongooses. The DOC 250 trap was also effective in trapping mongooses in a landscape setting. In combination with best-practice wooden trap boxes, the DOC 250 caught more mongooses than live-traps, which were made of wire mesh. The DOC 250 traps should be used in future mongoose control operations in Hawaii as a humane and cost-effective alternative to live-trapping. This trial was a collaborative initiative between the New Zealand Department of Conservation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Haleiwa (Oahu, Hawaii), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu (Oahu, Hawaii), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kealia Pond (Maui, Hawaii) and the Oahu Army Natural Resource Program, Schofield Barracks (Oahu, Hawaii), USA. Keywords: Herpestes auropunctatus, invasive predator, humane control, NAWAC, island conservation INTRODUCTION The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) METHODS is a catastrophic invasive predator of the West Indies, Hawaiian Islands, South America, Fiji, Mafia Island and A collaborative programme to test the DOC 250 island habitats of Africa, Asia and Europe (Long 2003; traps was set up between the New Zealand Department Warren and Conant 2007). They impact upon and cause of Conservation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Haleiwa the extinction of many species of birds, mammals, and (Oahu, Hawaii), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu insects (Warren and Conant 2007). (Oahu, Hawaii), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kealia Pond (Maui, Hawaii) and the Oahu Army Natural Resource To date in Hawaii, the most common control method Program, Schofield Barracks (Oahu, Hawaii), USA. for mongoose is cage live trapping. This method requires skilled and intensive labour as traps must be checked daily DOC 250 kill traps were set in current best practice and captured animals either dispatched on site with firearms wooden trap boxes (Fig. 1) in the initial humane test and at or offsite in carbon dioxide chambers. These labour each of the three sites where field trials were undertaken. intensive methods impact upon management decisions particularly regarding the size and scope of control projects. Less labour reliant and more cost effective tools are needed to enable control or eradication of mongooses over larger areas, such as on islands and in large mainland reserves. The DOC 250 kill trap has passed National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) humane guidelines for use against mustelids in New Zealand (Poutu and Warburton 2005). These traps are always set in trap boxes and are triggered by the weight of an animal stepping onto a treadle. It has been developed for use with four pest species in New Zealand, including the ferret (Mustela furo), which is comparable in size and behaviour to the mongoose. Given similarities between small Indian mongooses and ferrets, DOC 250 traps should show equivalent humane efficacy for both species. A preliminary controlled test was therefore organised in 2007, to determine whether the DOC 250 kill trap could conform to NAWAC requirements and render small Indian mongoose irreversibly unconscious within three minutes of being caught. This paper presents the outcome of the preliminary humane test and results from three subsequent, small- scale field trials that used DOC 250 kill traps to target and Fig. 1 DOC 250 kill trap being set in a current best practise successfully kill small Indian mongoose in Hawaii. trap box designed to catch small Indian mongoose. Pages 225-227 In: Veitch, C. R.; Clout, M. N. and Towns, D. R. (eds.). 2011. Island invasives: eradication and management. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. 225 Island invasives: eradication and management Table 2 Results from Trial 2, DOC 250 kill traps Date Traps checked Captures Sat 16 May 2009 yes 1 Sun 17 May 2009 no Mon 18 May 2009 yes 6 Total 7 Trial 1: Jack Jeffrey’s property – Hilo, Hawaii Island Six Doc 250 trap sets were placed 20 - 50 metres apart in rough grassland surrounded by wooded farmland and tree plantings. Each trap was baited with tinned sardines and activated for two nights from 02 - 04 April 2007. Trial 2: James Campbell/Ki’i Wildlife Refuge – Oahu Fig. 2 DOC 250 kill trap baited with sardines. The small Island Indian mongoose has been humanely killed. Fourteen DOC 250 trap sets were spaced 50 - 70 metres apart along access ways within the 45 hectare refuge, composed of wetland with introduced grasses. Traps were baited with tinned sardines on 16 - 18 May and checked Each trap box was baited with tinned sardine or cat twice during the three night trapping period. crunchies (commercially available cat food in the form Trial 3: Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge – Maui of cereal based pellets) and all traps were checked and Island serviced after between one and three days at all sites. Twelve trap sites, comprising a paired arrangement The objectives of this trial were to determine whether of a standard Doc 250 trap-set placed 1 - 3 metres from DOC 250 traps are: 1) capable of humanely killing small a Tomahawk live cage trap, were established at 20 – 50 Indian mongoose; 2) capable og trapping mongooses in metre intervals, over an area of marshland and introduced the wild; and 3) more effective than Tomahawk live-traps grasses. All traps were baited with cat crunchies placed in in controlling mongoose numbers in the wild. NAWAC a bait jar with wire mesh lid. This paired trap trial ran for guidelines were used as the humane standards for this a period of four months from 14 June to 17 October 2009, trial, as there was a clear mandate to do so from the two with trap checks and servicing being undertaken every day. governments involved. In this trial, the Tomahawk traps were checked every day, Preliminary Humane Test: James Campbell/Ki’i in accordance with NAWAC humane guidelines. The DOC Wildlife Refuge, Oahu Island. 250 traps may be checked less often, as these humane kill- Two captive small Indian mongoose were trapped traps comply with NAWAC guidelines, regardless of time under controlled conditions in a DOC 250 kill trap set in between trap-checks. the marsh/ introduced grass area of James Campbell/Ki’i Wildlife Refuge on 26 March 2007. Both animals were immediately rendered irreversibly unconscious. This was determined by measuring the palpebral reflex, and time Table 3 Results from Trial 3, DOC 250 and Tomahawk cage to heart-stop, from the moment of trapping. The cause of trap, paired trial. death in both cases was multiple skull fractures (Fig. 2). This result confirmed the hypothesis that DOC 250 kill Session Date DOC 250 Cage trap traps would humanely dispatch Small Indian mongoose 1 14 – 20 June 2009 0 0 within the NAWAC guidelines and provided the confidence 2 21 – 27 June 2009 0 0 for field trials to proceed. 3 28 June – 4 July 2009 1 1 4 5 – 11 July 2009 4 0 5 12 – 18 July 2009 0 1 6 19 – 25 July 2009 0 2 Table 1 Results from Trial 1, DOC 250 kill traps, on the 7 26 July – 1 Aug 2009 0 0 Jeffrey property, Hilo 8 2 – 8 Aug 2009 3 0 Mongoose Date Sex Age class 9 9 -15 Aug 2009 0 0 1 02/04/07 Male Adult 10 16 – 22 Aug 2009 1 0 2 02/04/07 Female Adult 11 23 – 29 Aug 2009 0 0 3 02/04/07 Female Adult 12 30 Aug – 5 Sept 2009 0 0 4 02/04/07 Female Adult 13 6 – 12 Sept 2009 1 0 5 02/04/07 unknown unknown 14 13 – 19 Sept 2009 0 0 8 03/04/07 Male Adult 15 20 – 26 Sept 2009 3 0 9 03/04/07 Male Adult 16 27 Sept – 3 Oct 2009 1 0 10 03/04/07 Female Adult 17 4 – 10 Oct 2009 0 0 11 03/04/07 Male Adult 18 11 – 17 Oct 2009 0 0 12 04/04/07 Male Adult Total 15 4 226 Peters et al.: Small Indian mongoose trapping RESULTS CONCLUSION Trial 1: Jack Jeffrey’s property – Hilo, Hawaii Island This study confirms that DOC 250 traps in protective One trap malfunctioned and has been discounted. boxes provide a new and more efficient tool for the Results are based on five operative traps set for two nights.
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  • Prevalence of Serum Antibodies to Toxoplasma Gondii in the Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes Auropunctatus) on Amami- Oshima Island, Japan RUNNING HEAD: T

    Prevalence of Serum Antibodies to Toxoplasma Gondii in the Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes Auropunctatus) on Amami- Oshima Island, Japan RUNNING HEAD: T

    Advance Publication The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science Accepted Date: 16 December 2019 J-STAGE Advance Published Date: 25 December 2019 ©2019 The Japanese Society of Veterinary Science Author manuscripts have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication but have not yet been edited. Wildlife Science Note TITLE: Prevalence of serum antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) on Amami- Oshima Island, Japan RUNNING HEAD: T. GONDII IN SMALL INDIAN MONGOOSE AUTHOR: Keiko ITO1), Shintaro ABE2), Ryo YAMASHITA3), Daisuke SUMIYAMA4), Tomoko KANAZAWA4) and Koichi MURATA4, 5) * 1) Amami Dog & Cat Animal Hospital, Nakagachi, Tatsugocho, Oshima-gun, Kagoshima 894-0106, Japan 2) Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Environment Office, Ministry of the Environment, 1-4-1 Shimoishii, Kita, Okayama, Okayama 700-0907, Japan 3) Japan Wildlife Research Center, 3-3-7 Kotobashi, Sumida, Tokyo 130-8606, Japan 4) College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan 5) Yokohama Zoological Gardens ZOORASIA, 1175-1 Kamishiranecho, Asahi-ku, Yokohama, 241-0001, Japan *Correspondence to: Murata, K., College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan, FAX: 0466-84-3776, e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT. Prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasm gondii was studied using the latex agglutination (LA) method, followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation (SDGC) method on the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus), which inhabits Amami- Oshima Island. Of the 362 samples, 38 (10.5%) revealed positive. Single or double peaks in the 7-8 and/or 12-14 fraction to LA titer by SDGC indicated the early stage of T.