Hilo woman cited for allegedly taking nene gosling from park
COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
A Hilo woman was cited for taking a nene gosling from the Wailoa River State Recreation Area.
COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Police found the gosling “in an onion bag in a bucket near the rear of the vehicle.”
A 57-year-old woman was cited this morning after allegedly taking a nene gosling from Wailoa River State Recreational Area in Hilo and driving away with it.
State Department of Land and Natural Resources officials said multiple witnesses reported to staff that Meiqin Chen of Hilo had taken the gosling, put it in her vehicle and drove away.
The department’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the Hawaii Police Department were provided with a description of Chen’s vehicle and its license plate number.
Police located the vehicle about 10 miles away in Keaau and, during a traffic stop, found the gosling in the vehicle “in an onion bag in a bucket near the rear of the vehicle.”
Chen was cited by the DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement for taking, injuring or destroying wild birds; taking, possessing, processing, selling, offering for sale, transporting endangered or threatened species; and trapping, taking, catching possessing a wild bird or mammal or disturbing their habitat.
Chen’s initial court date is on May 19 in Hilo District Court.
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Anyone who witnesses wildlife harassment is encouraged to call the 24-hour DOCARE hotline at 808-643-DLNR (3567) or report suspected violations via the free DLNRTip app.
