While I was in Kauai, Hawaii for ten days, one thing that seemed a bit strange to me was the overwhelming number of chickens running loose on the island. They were everywhere and they were not at all shy!
You could hear roosters crowing at all times of the day and they are just waiting for tourist to share their leftovers with them.
To top it off, the chickens are protected by the State of Hawaii, so clearing them out is not an option. They are just allowed to run free. You find them at the beach, the shops and restaurants.
Hawaii is very careful about the type of animals allowed on the island. Because of this, the chickens have very few predators on the island of Kauai. On Oahu, the government allowed the introduction of the mongoose to control rats in the sugar cane fields, but they have not made it to Kauai. The mongoose would help control the chicken population because they eat the chicken eggs. For now, the only predators the chickens have are dogs and cats.
If you ever visit the island of Kauai, expect to be greeted by hundreds of wild chickens wherever your ventures take you.
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