Yokota trespassers caught, detained, released

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eric Summers
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Clink! That is the noise made as the trap captures one of the trespassers. Her partner witnesses this and tries to escape through a storm drain but is caught an hour later. 

Both of the trespassers have been caught, detained and after further investigation, released. 

The two trespassers, Tanukis, Japanese raccoon dogs, were captured by the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron entomology flight Airmen on Yokota Jan. 6 and were taken to Tama Hills Recreation Area and released Jan. 8. 

"We captured the raccoon dogs after we received a call from a member of the Yokota community saying they spotted the raccoon dogs," said Senior Airman Mark Bashaw, 374 CES environmental controls apprentice. "After conducting a survey of the area we found the location of the animals and set up humane traps." 

One of the Tanukis was caught in a trap while the other tried to escape down a storm drain and was caught an hour later. 

"It's important for us to capture wild animals on base so they do not run into any domesticated animals and cause problems with the pets," Airman Bashaw said. 

Though it is rare to encounter a Tanuki on base, the animal can be found in lowlands, forests and valleys. 

Feral cats are the most common animal caught on Yokota. Base personnel often abandon cats on base when it comes time to change duty stations and don't want to pay the money for the pet to accompany them. 

Tanukis on base have the potential to spread diseases to the domesticated animals on base. They also have the potential to spread trash and debris while causing aesthetic damage to base grounds and landscape by digging and foraging for food. 

The 374 CES captures these wild animals on base to prevent the spread of diseases and other complications that might be caused by the wild animals, helping keep the Yokota community and their pets safe. 

Wild animals like these may also cause flight delays and mission interruptions due to their movement in airfield control areas. 

The entomology flight does weekly animal surveillance and control sweeps of the base. They also perform inspection and control of vertebrate, household, structural, stored products, public health, ornamental and turf, vegetation control, and aquatic pest. 

"We work after hours checking food facility treatments, weed control on the flightline at 4 a.m., and standby at night for emergency calls," said the Airman. 

"It was a good experience safely capturing and releasing the animals back into their natural environment at Tama Hills," said the Airman. "It also gave me great satisfaction from my job to be able to help the environment and work with wild animals to put them in a better place."