LIHU‘E — The butchered remains of a large wild pig left discarded and wrapped in large amounts of plastic off Ho‘olako Road in Lihu‘e was still accumulating flies and stench Wednesday morning, three days after first being discovered Sunday. Even
LIHU‘E — The butchered remains of a large wild pig left discarded and wrapped in large amounts of plastic off Ho‘olako Road in Lihu‘e was still accumulating flies and stench Wednesday morning, three days after first being discovered Sunday.
Even though its fur had been stripped away and body parts were mangled, its head was still intact and no meat had been taken, according to Kaua‘i Humane Society Field Manager Chris Vierra, who inspected the scene Wednesday.
This is an unusual incident, he said, adding that the county Department of Public Works would be assisting in the removal of the carcass.
Though it is unclear what actually happened, as flesh was seemingly not removed from the creature, County Council member Daryl Kaneshiro said he is familiar with people discarding the remains of animals on his ranch at ‘Oma‘o Farms. Poachers take what they need and dispose of the rest in inappropriate places, he said.
“As a responsible hunter, you dispose of it properly … not in someone’s backyard,” said Kaneshiro, an experienced hunter himself who often has the task of disposing of the discarded remains left by others.
“An ethical hunter would not bag the remains, or leave plastic in the forest, which is illegal,” said the state Department of Land and Natural Resources spokeswoman Deborah Ward. “The department educates and advises hunters to show respect to others, and to practice ethical hunting.”
In addition, utilizing the entire animal is important for sustainable living, said Don Heacock, aquatic biologist for the DLNR Aquatics Division on Kaua‘i. The remains can become “excellent fertilizer” and there is “no such thing as waste” when it comes to animal matter.
Depositing the carcass of an animal in a public place is not only a wasteful practice, but ultimately poses a threat to public health, said water quality expert Dr. Carl Berg.
Berg recalled a scene he stumbled upon while attempting to collect water samples for data in recent years.
In the stream above Kipu Falls, someone had thrown two dead pigs over the bridge after removing what they needed, he said. Unknowingly, there were people “laughing and splashing” in what they probably thought was “natural pristine water” below the falls downstream.
“I couldn’t think of anything more gross,” he said, adding that the stench was “unbelievable.”
He also adds that one of the sources of the bacterial disease leptospirosis is pig’s blood.
Though the manner in which the pig off Ho‘olako Road died remains a question, most animals found on the island’s roadways are “killed accidentally,” wrote county spokesperson Mary Daubert in an e-mail Tuesday. “In cases where remains are found, they are usually left there by hunters who take the meat and leave the rest.”
The county Roads Division “does receive frequent calls regarding dead pigs on roadways that have been hit by vehicles or remains of a pig, such as the internal organs and/or the skin and head.”
While the Kaua‘i Humane Society is responsible for picking up “small to medium dogs and cats,” either the state Department of Transportation or county Roads Division “will respond depending on the jurisdiction” to “other animals,” Daubert said. “If a dead animal is found on private property, then it is the responsibility of the property owner to properly dispose of the animal.”
“Proper disposal” of hunted animals includes “taking the remains off the trail away from other people to allow natural decomposition, or to take it to a landfill or transfer station,” Ward said.
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.
