Big Island man citied for letting dog harass monk seal at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park

By Kathryn Doorey

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    KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (KITV) — A man was citied by several state and federal agencies, after video captured his dog harassing a Hawaiian monk seal at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park.

A witness videotaped the dog running up on the seal and barking aggressively at the seal.

The 52-year-old man, who recently moved to Hawaii from the mainland, was citied for the following:

-Harassment of endangered and threatened species under State law, Permitting a dog to stray (no leash) under Hawai‘i County Code, by DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE)

-Failure to restrain a pet (dog off leash); Disturbing of wildlife activities, by National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement

-Violation of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE)

Police are not sharing the individual involved, since those who are cited for seal harassment sometimes receive multiple death threats via social media.

Authorities warn that resting monk seals are powerful animals and could easily hurt or kill an off-leash dog.

Anyone who spots wildlife harassment is asked to report it to the 24-hour DOCARE hotline at 643-DLNR or via the free DLNRTip app. Videos and photographs are helpful to authorities in identifying suspects.

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