More than $25,000 worth of equipment, most of it belonging to The Nature Conservancy, was taken by thieves from a storage unit at its Kaiholena Preserve in Ka‘u.
More than $25,000 worth of equipment, most of it belonging to The Nature Conservancy, was taken by thieves from a storage unit at its Kaiholena Preserve in Ka‘u.
The theft, which took place Monday morning around dawn, included a utility terrain vehicle , an all-terrain vehicle, a trailer and other smaller conservation equipment.
“We are shocked and saddened by this theft, which is a big setback to our conservation efforts at Kaiholena,” said Mark Fox, the Conservancy’s acting executive director. “We are working with the police to apprehend the thieves and are offering a reward for information leading to the return of the stolen items.”
Stolen items include a 2009 Troy Flatbed trailer with wooden bed and black wheel rails, no railings; a 2009 Honda UTV called Big Red, painted in green and tan camouflage; and a green ATV 500 belonging to a Conservancy contractor.
Other smaller items used for conservation work at Kaiolena were also taken.
According to Shalan Crysdale, the Conservancy’s Hawaii Island Program director, this was the second recent theft. Five-hundred meters of deer mesh fencing installed by an all-volunteer labor crew was stolen about a year ago.
The thieves involved in Monday’s burglary were seen driving a black 1996-2000 Toyota pickup headed through roads from macadamia orchards toward Pahala.
Any information can be provided to Ka‘u police station at 939-2520.