Efficiency and Efficacy of DOC-200 Versus Tomahawk Traps for Controlling Small Indian Mongoose, Herpestes auropunctatus (Carnivora: Herpestidae) in Wetland Wildlife Sanctuaries

Abstract: Hawai‘i’s native waterbirds are conservation reliant and need active management including predator control for the foreseeable future. The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is a detrimental predator to Hawai‘i’s native waterbirds: mongoose prey upon eggs, chicks, and adults. An effective trapping and baiting regime is fundamental in the control of this invasive predator. We examined whether DOC-200 kill traps or Tomahawk live traps are more effective in capturing mongoose. We also compared the cost efficiency of DOC-200 and Tomahawk traps. Throughout the study 114 animals were captured, of which 49 were mongoose (28 males, 14 females, 7 unknown sex). DOC-200 and Tomahawk traps did not differ in the number of mongoose captured. The trapping regime where DOC-200 traps were checked once a week proved to be most efficient ($40.70/mongoose), regimes where DOC-200 traps and Tomahawk traps were checked three times a week cost $65.20/mongoose and $102.80/mongoose, respectively. The results from our study give insight on trap preference, which can be used in other management areas that are impacted by mongoose in Hawai‘i, as well as providing cost effective trapping regimes for managers.