Honolulu Police Department (HPD) officers recently found a live snake in a Waipahu home while on a wellness check involving a deceased male. The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) and inspectors were dispatched to the scene and took custody of the non-venomous ball python, which measured about 3-and-a-half feet long. The sex of the snake has not been determined and is being safeguarded at the PQB.

Snakes are illegal to transport and possess in Hawai‘i and the incident has been forwarded the Department of the Attorney General. Individuals possessing illegal animals may be charged with a class C felony, face fines of up to $200,000, and three years in prison.

Under the Amnesty Program, illegal animals may be turned in to any HDOA office, any municipal zoo or aquarium, or the Hawaiian Humane Society. If illegal animals are turned in prior to the start of an investigation, no criminal charges or fines will be assessed. Animals turned in under amnesty will not be euthanized. Depending on the species, illegal animals may be used for educational purposes, transferred to a municipal zoo or relocated to an appropriate facility on the mainland.

.Snakes and large reptiles have no natural predators in Hawai‘i. Many species also prey on birds and their eggs, increasing the threat to our endangered native birds. They also compete with native animals for food and habitat. Large snakes may also be a threat to humans and small pets.

Anyone with information about illegal animals should call the statewide toll-free PEST HOTLINE at (808) 643-PEST (7378).

 

Photo credit: Department of Agriculture