How do illegal animals make their way to Hawaiʻi — and what happens when they're found?

Yahoo

07-06-2025

HONOLULU (KHON2) — A Kaimuki man on June 3, and officials with the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) safely captured it. After the snake was captured, officials said it was being 'safeguarded' at the Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB).
KHON2 spoke with Jonathan Ho, Plant Quarantine Branch Manager with the HDOA, to learn more about what comes next — and how these types of animals make it into Hawaiʻi in the first place.
Ho said that, while there are regulations in place to prevent certain plants and animals from coming into Hawaiʻi, other states may not be looking to stop the transportation of those plants and animals because they are not as regulated elsewhere.
Illegal 3.5-foot-long snake captured in Kaimuki backyard
'The regulations are designed to help protect the native and the natural resources that the state has,' Ho told KHON2. 'As it relates to plants and other things, they're all subject to inspection upon entry… staff are looking for diseases, whether that be insects, plant pests, frogs, whatever that may be.'
When people travel to Hawaiʻi from the mainland, they are required to fill out a form to declare any agricultural items, including plants, animals, soil and more. If any agricultural items are being brought, they are subject to inspection upon arrival.
So, how do some animals (like the snake in Kaimuki) get past that inspection?
'It's very easy for somebody to potentially smuggle one in when nobody's really looking for it except a small number of staff in the state,' Ho said.
The ball python found in Kaimuki is not the first python that has been captured in Hawaiʻi. As recently as April 2024, a . In February 2021, HDOA inspectors .
However, Ho said residents should not be concerned about the snakes, as ball pythons are common pets. He said in these situations, a snake was likely smuggled into the state as a pet before getting lost: 'Snakes are very good escape artists.'
If you are concerned about an illegal animal, or if you see one in your area, you are encouraged to call 808-643-PEST (7378), which is the state's toll-free and confidential pest hotline.
In Hawaiʻi, it is illegal to bring in or possess invasive bird species, invasive aquatic animals, non-native mammals, wild preadatory mammals, large reptiles and snakes, the HDOA said. For more specific examples of illegal animals, visit the .
Being in possession of an illegal animal in Hawaiʻi may lead to a person being charged with a class C felony and being issued a fine of up to $200,000. If you are found to be in possession of an illegal animal, you , the HDOA said.
The HDOA encouraged individuals who have illegal animals to turn them in under the , which allows people to voluntarily surrender illegal animals without facing criminal or civil penalties (if the animal is surrendered before an investigation).
'If you can prevent it from becoming established, it's far better than not being able to deal with it in the long run,' Ho said of illegal animals.
Animals that are taken into HDOA custody are generally not euthanized. However, there are some circumstances where an animal may be put down — such as in situations where an animal is dangerous, injured or sick.
In most other cases, Ho said that animals may be maintained or rehomed locally. The PQB holds on to some animals for demonstration purposes, and other animals may be sent to municipal zoos or shipped to an out-of-state sanctuary or university for research.
'The department puts a lot of effort into that because we want to incentivize people to surrender things as opposed to letting them go,' Ho said.
People are advised against releasing illegal animals into the wild. Instead, illegal animals can be dropped off at a local Humane Society, municipal zoo or HDOA office.
Anyone with information on illegal animals is asked to call 808-643-PEST (7378), which is the state's toll-free and confidential pest hotline.
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