A mongoose captured in Vaitele is not a good sign. The animal has managed to bypass the biosecurity checks. If there are others, we are looking at a new invasive species.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) has issued a public alert, urging residents to be particularly vigilant.

The M.N.R.E. statement underscores the significant threat of such invasive species on Samoa’s fragile ecosystems.

On Thursday, August 22, 2024, the Samoa Water Authority's Vaitele office notified the M.N.R.E. of a suspected mongoose sighting within their compound.

Recognising the serious potential threat this poses to Samoa's unique biodiversity, the MNRE-DEC (Division of Environment and Conservation) team promptly mobilised.

They coordinated with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), specifically the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS), to obtain technical guidance and necessary equipment.

By 6:48 pm on the same day, the team had successfully captured a large mongoose, which was suspected to be female. Let us hope there are others or hope this female mongoose has not given birth.

Invasive species cause harm to wildlife in many ways. When a new and aggressive species is introduced into an ecosystem, it may not have any natural predators or controls. It can breed and spread quickly, taking over an area. Native wildlife may not have evolved defences against the invader, or they may not be able to compete with a species that has no predators.

The direct threats of invasive species include preying on native species, outcompeting native species for food or other resources, causing or carrying disease, and preventing native species from reproducing or killing a native species' young.

There are indirect threats of invasive species as well. Invasive species can change the food web in an ecosystem by destroying or replacing native food sources. The invasive species may provide little to no food value for wildlife.

Invasive species can also alter the abundance or diversity of species that are important habitat for native wildlife.

Mongoose are a weasel-like animal totalling about 26 inches in length with a long, brownish body, short legs and a tail as long as its body. They have small rounded ears and a pointed nose. The mongoose is active during the day and generally sleeps in dens at night.

Mongooses are opportunistic feeders that will eat birds, small mammals, reptiles, insects, fruits, and plants. They prey on the eggs and hatchlings of native ground-nesting birds and endangered sea turtles. The small Indian mongoose has been blamed for the extinction of ground-nesting birds in Jamaica and Fiji and commonly kills birds, including eight federally listed endangered Hawaiian birds, such as the Hawaiian crow, petrels and Hawaiian goose. It was estimated in 1999 that mongooses cause $50 million in damages to Hawai`i and Puerto Rico annually.

It is very important to find what particular species of mongoose is the captured one. The small Indian mongoose is among the worst invasive alien species, yet the implications of managing the species are poorly understood. Studies have found that to eradicate mongooses the monetised benefits of kill trapping exceed the benefits of live trapping and hunting. Still, all of these management options are preferred to the status quo of no management.

Global trade, international tourism, and the transformation of natural habitats result in accidental and intentional introductions of plant and animal species to foreign places. In some cases, these introduced species are invasive and threaten the biodiversity and natural resources in host states.

Invasive alien species are particularly problematic for small islands because of such islands' high degree of endemism of species and reliance on natural resources for economic production. For example, in many Pacific island nations, primary industries such as agriculture, fishing, and forestry constitute as much as one-third of a country's gross domestic product (GDP), natural resources dominate the manufacturing and processing sectors across the region, and native species feature prominently in the demand for tourism. Invasive species pose a significant threat to economies like ours.

Urgent steps are needed to find out if more mongooses are running around. The mongooses need to be trapped and killed. They could become a threat to many other species in Samoa.