By AUDREY McAVOY
By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press
HONOLULU — A helicopter pilot is pleading guilty to illegally flying deer from Maui to the Big Island, shedding light on a mystery that has been bewildering Hawaii: how did axis deer, an animal that can’t swim across the ocean, get to another island?
But now federal authorities say the people behind the scheme also took several mouflon sheep from the Big Island and flew them to Maui.
Neither axis deer nor mouflon sheep are native to Hawaii and don’t have natural predators here. Their presence has damaged fragile native ecosystems and farms on the islands where they’ve become established.
The alleged animal smugglers took the sheep to a Maui hunting ranch, and apparently didn’t release them to the wild. Even so, the sheep’s arrival on Maui for the first time is still deeply concerning to conservationists as the animals could escape or give others the idea to bring over more.
“Some of our most endangered dry forest community on Maui would definitely be negatively impacted if sheep got established on Maui. They’re already being impacted by the deer. The sheep would just be one more thing that was contributing to their demise,” said Chuck Chimera, a botanist on Maui involved in efforts to fight invasive species.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Song said helicopter pilot Thomas Leroy Hauptman flew four axis deer, from Maui, where the animals were introduced in the 1950s, to the Big Island where they’re not established. He brought back about a dozen mouflon sheep with him to Maui from the Big Island.
Hauptman on Monday entered a plea of guilty in federal court to one misdemeanor count of illegally transporting wildlife, specifically axis deer in 2009. He could be sentenced to up to a year in prison. His defense suggested that he perform community service by flying 500 hours in his helicopter working for the group fighting to eradicate axis deer from the Big Island, the Big Island Invasive Species Committee.
Hauptman’s attorney didn’t immediately return a telephone message seeking comment.
Song said Hauptman was the courier, and not the mastermind.
The owner of the Maui ranch where the sheep were taken, Jeffrey Scott Grundhauser, is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. He’s charged with one misdemeanor count of selling wildlife — axis deer and mouflon sheep — without the proper permit. He also faces up to one year in prison.
Grundhauser’s attorney didn’t return a message seeking comment.
Song said federal officials are investigating other individuals in the case.
The first confirmed sighting of an axis deer on the Big Island came in May 2011.
The Big Island Invasive Species Committee this year began hiring hunters to kill them.
The committee has estimated their population to be between 50 and 100, though it has been difficult to verify their numbers.
The Hawaii County Council in November passed a bill outlawing their presence outside of the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill in June banning inter-island transportation of axis deer.
As of that month, hunters had killed two deer.