The city has awarded a contract for removing feral chickens from its properties to Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions.
Initial trapping began this week. Among the 70 city facilities identified for trapping are the Board of Water Supply Yard on Diamond Head Road, the Waikiki Shell, Hanauma Bay, Kaiaka Bay Beach Park in Haleiwa, Kualoa Regional Park, West Loch Golf Course, and the Pali Golf Course.
More than 1,500 chickens were counted at city facilities in May this year.
The contactor will use “smart traps” with wireless cameras and automatic notification of trapping, wildlife cameras to scout and assess sites, GPS to track technician locations, and bar code scanning to log completed assignments. The city will be provided with access to the contractor’s logging system to review the service records posted for each location.
All traps will have shade cloths, chicken feed and water reservoirs.
The trapping will be conducted weekdays, with the traps collected at the end of the work week. Other trapping methods, such as cage traps and netting, may also be used during the four-month demonstration project.
The $80,000 contract is being funding by a City Council appropriation in the Fiscal Year 2015 operating budget.
“The funds appropriated are not enough for a comprehensive island-wide program including private property, therefore the new program will target chicken roosting areas on city properties for more efficient trapping,” said director of Customer Services Sheri Kajiwara.
Captured chickens will be euthanized with a carbon dioxide immersion system that conforms to American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines.
