Meddlesome Creatures

Hawaii has a variety of tropical islands. It has a diverse types of animals that can not be found anywhere else on the Earth. Many tourists come by to marvel and appreciate these magnificent creatures. Because of Hawaii's abundant food source and habitats, it is easy for just a single animal to thrive in the thousands. But, has it ever come to mind that maybe these animals don't belong here? That they may have come from another country in the world? If you look at Hawaii, each island began as giant volcanic rocks that arose from under the vast Pacific Ocean. So, could you say that all of its animals are native to Hawaii? Only those creatures, such as birds, who have migrated to Hawaii on their own are considered native. They were not brought or introduced by humans. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of species roaming around the place. Majority of these animals are alien, but they are not invasive. However, among them are about 46 invasive alien species and of these are the top 3 most invasive alien land animals. The threats of these species has put Hawaii's ecosystems in great danger, especially of those who are native to Hawaii. Hawaii's ever-changing ecosystems has been greatly impacted by the introduction of these alien land animals.

The issue of invasive alien species began with the introduction of foreign animals. However, first, we must consider a few words. there is a big difference between the words "alien" and "native." Alien, meaning belonging to a different country in the world other than Hawaii. Invasive, meaning destructive and obtrusive. The first invasive land animal was introduced back in the 1800s. Back in 1872, a man named W.B. Espeut founded a solution to the rat problem that might have caused harm to the sugar cane fields. He got the idea the Indian mongooses would do the trick. He sailed on a ship called Merchantman in search of these creatures. He traveled to Calcutta and captured a total of nine mongooses and brought them back to Jamaica. Two decades later, Espeut gave a review saying that all the mongooses have done was destroy the harmless and native animals of Jamaica. There was no reduction in the population of the rats. People in Hawaii had the same rat problem. In 1883, 72 Jamaican mongooses were brought to the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island. They began to flourish there and were later transported to other parts of Hawaii, such as Maui, Molokai, and Oahu. This solution brought no peace on the lands. Instead, the native Hawaiian goose, the nene, nearly became extinct as well as Newell's shearwaters. There are no natural predators for these creatures. So, they have to be trapped and killed immediately. However, this is a challenge because they have been known for being the best hide-and-seek players. Till this day, there are as mush rats as there are mongooses. It is almost impossible to evict all of these mongooses from Hawaii.

Mongooses aren't the only ones that have caused a great impact to Hawaii's native species. Between the years 1991 and 1994, a footless creature made its way through a cargo shipment and onto Hawaii's fields. This happens to be the brown tree snake and these cargo shipments originated from Guam. On June 15 1944, US military equipment and war material that were used on Papua New Guinea were shipped to the bases of Guam. The first snakes were reported to have been in the war-torn sites of Guam where rats, geckos, and invasive species have been invading. In the later years of 1970s through the 1980s, the snake population began to flourish all across Guam and the bird populations were declining. These snakes, however, found their way into cargo shipments that were headed for Oahu, Hawaii. The first reported snake was discovered on April of 1981. It was found on the Customs area of the Honolulu Airport. Several reports have been coming in about brown tree snakes for the next 17 years. The climate of Hawaii and Guam are very similar, which provides good habitats for the brown tree snake to live in. In Guam, they have caused about ten out of twelve native forest birds to go extinct. They have been known to be preying on many birds. And these birds are what helped to give the land food. They are responsible for pollination and seed dispersals of many native plants. Other species have also been affected because of the loss of their habitat and native food supply. The Hawaiian Islands are in great danger because there is an abundance of various kinds of foods and habitats. This has helped many growing species to thrive peacefully in their habitat, before invasive species came to the land. To reduce the population, the US Department of Agriculture's program on Guam are responsible for trapping and night searches for brown tree snakes in port facilities, cargos, and vehicles. They have also hired their own snake-detection dogs to sniff out these pests. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture is also responsible for checking the cargos just in case they might be hidden in the cargos. Finally, the DLNR has a trained staff and a group of volunteers that track down these brown tree snakes in order to keep the population on a low level. The citizens of Hawaii are also involved in the search for these creatures. It is safer to do so because these snakes have already been established on Hawaii in the 20th century.

The last species on the Most Wanted list is the ever-annoying coqui frog. These small creatures were introduced around or before the year of 1988. They are native to Puerto Rico and have hitched its way in plant imports to Hawaii, via Florida. They are quarter-size frogs that are difficult to see because of their size and camouflage ability with the plants. These frogs don't need water to produce eggs and so its easier for them to reproduce. Many people have claimed that these creatures eat mosquitoes and termites, but samples from their body has proven otherwise. Instead, they eat the pollinators of native plants. These frogs have been flourishing mostly in the islands of Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. On Kauai, only one active spot and on Oahu, 5 focused locations were reported to have had an abundance of coqui frogs. On the Big Island, majority of the coqui frogs have been found on the coasts around the island, but mostly thrive on the east side of the Big Island, so about 200 spots. And on Maui, about 40 locations have an active population of these small creatures. They have been reported to be very noisy and has caused many sleepless nights for many. It has been proven that they compete for food with the endangered birds and their presence provides a food supply for non-native snakes. They have also been known to be devouring bugs that exist nowhere else in the world. However, Hawaii has founded a safe solution to eradicating these frogs: citric acid. It was claimed to have worked on Kauai, but to ensure safety, imported plants must be treated for any existence of coqui frogs. Today, it is illegal to release, transport, or export coqui frogs. Any offenses would be a fine of about $250-$25,000. 367 certified nurseries are also responsible for keeping their plants in tact. The state has also made efforts to educate people about how to identify and control these species. A project called the "HEAR" project is in progress and is underway. But, even if they put their best foot forward, they will miss frogs and eggs.

Biodiversity is important in an ecosystem. Without it, the different animal species will not be able to survive for long. However, this can be destroyed by the introduction of non-native species. Especially, those that can cause a great impact in the ecosystem. Invasive alien species are the second leading cause of extinctions. Global transportation imports have worsened the threat of these invasive species. This is why it is very important to learn about the behavior and nature of the creature before introducing it as a solution to a problem. It is also critical that the departments of the states check any cargo imports from foreign countries because one import can release another one of the most invasive species. Communities and residents who are neighbors of these species must also take action as well as being educated to get to know more about their backyards and what they are living with. It's important that the state and the people take action once there has been several reports about a pest. One mistake can cause a big mess. So, we should all join in the help to save our endangered species and bring a stop to this issue once and for all.