Possum caught on Sand Island

Sand Island workers caught an opossum Wednesday morning while setting traps for feral cats.

Hawaii Department of Agriculture inspectors picked up the animal, and are currently conducting rabies tests.

Janelle Saneishi with the HDOA said in a statement, "It is not known how the opossum got there, but they are known to hitchhike in shipping containers, which are common in the area."

This is the fourth possum found in Hawaii.  In August of 2011, a possum was found in a shipping container as it was being unloaded in the Ward Center area.  In 2005, two opossums were found.  One was captured inside a military cargo plane at Hickam Air Force Base and the other was found in the mail receiving area of the U.S. Postal Service facility at Honolulu International Airport.