Latest news with #JonathanHo
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
How do illegal animals make their way to Hawaiʻi — and what happens when they're found?
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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
William Blair Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Rapid7 (RPD)
In a report released today, Jonathan Ho from William Blair maintained a Buy rating on Rapid7 (RPD – Research Report). The company's shares closed today at $23.17. Confident Investing Starts Here: According to TipRanks, Ho is a 4-star analyst with an average return of 11.4% and a 60.75% success rate. Ho covers the Technology sector, focusing on stocks such as Tyler Technologies, CyberArk Software, and Cloudflare. Rapid7 has an analyst consensus of Hold, with a price target consensus of $30.19. The company has a one-year high of $44.48 and a one-year low of $21.61. Currently, Rapid7 has an average volume of 944.8K. Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 40 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of RPD in relation to earlier this year. Most recently, in April 2025, Christina Luconi, the CPO of RPD sold 12,551.00 shares for a total of $290,102.82.
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
William Blair Keeps Their Buy Rating on Qualys (QLYS)
William Blair analyst Jonathan Ho maintained a Buy rating on Qualys (QLYS – Research Report) today. The company's shares closed today at $139.70. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, Ho is a 4-star analyst with an average return of 11.4% and a 60.75% success rate. Ho covers the Technology sector, focusing on stocks such as Tyler Technologies, CyberArk Software, and Cloudflare. The word on The Street in general, suggests a Hold analyst consensus rating for Qualys with a $131.33 average price target.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Beast or best friend? Officials weigh in
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Curiosity spread like wildfire after a blurry image hit the internet two weeks ago. Search for possible large wild cat in Mānoa called off The snapshot sparked speculation with many, including the eyewitness, Donovan Luis, who took the photo, convinced the animal was a large wild cat. Jonathan Ho, the manager of the Department of Agriculture plant quarantine branch, said it looks like this one is a case of mistaken identity. 'It's more than likely a dog,' Ho explained. 'The way that they have their paws kind of wide, where cats tend to have their feet closer together. And then the color pattern, it again, much more like a bulldog mix.' Ho admitted they don't have definitive proof the animal is not a wildcat, but said all the evidence they've gathered has led to this conclusion. 'We put out trail cams and we baited them just to see if we could get something to come in. We got quite a few pictures of cats, feral domestic, feral cats in the areas,' he said. 'Those animals are not disappearing. People's pets aren't disappearing. All of that really doesn't lead us to believe that it is a large wild cat.'Ho said big predators have large territories and they don't usually hang around, and this animal was spotted twice in one week in the same place, which doesn't fit the profile. Even the location is an unlikely choice for a mountain lion. 'At that point of the mountain, kind of in between all these residential areas, for an ambush predator. That's kind of cryptic. It doesn't comport with biology. So based off of all of that, we've, you know, we're kind of calling it off,' he explained. But Ho added that they are glad Donovan Luis reported the sighting. 'Things happen and realistically if you don't know, call,' he said. '(It's) better to be safe than sorry. And you know, we can work with folks. And thankfully, this one turned out to be nothing.' Check out more news from around Hawaii Nothing? Or another mystery that had us chasing our tails? If you see an animal that you don't recognize, call their hotline at 643-PEST Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Besting the Big Island's beetles, ‘too late' for others?
KAILUA, Hawaii (KHON2) — The invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle continues to wreak havoc on Oahu's trees, recent detections also raised concerns on the Big Island but early efforts appear to be working, at least on Hawaii Island. Mulch mishap spurs corrective action in Oahu beetle battle Over a half dozen coconut rhinoceros beetles were found near Kona airport in March in an area where the critters have never been detected. Officials say damage to trees in Kona has not yet been reported but there are hundreds of palms around the airport facility. 'People coming into Kona Airport and seeing just dead palms. It's not a very welcoming sight. We really don't want to get to that point,' said Franny Brewer, Big Island Invasive Species Committee program manager. 'All hands on deck, deploy more traps, get more community surveys just so that we can find all those breeding sites and hopefully get down,' said Hawaii Department of Agriculture Plant Quarantine Branch Manager Jonathan Ho. 'And that's why you're seeing, I think, what, 260 trees so far treated in the surrounding area.' Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The trees around Kona's airport have either been treated with a pesticide spray up in the crown or an injection down near the base. The Big Island Invasive Species Committee said its latest detection involved a single beetle that was found dead in a trap after a treatment had been applied. 'We think it's a possibility that she had fed on one of the treated palms and then flown into the trap,' Brewer said. HDOA officials said they are cautiously optimistic about the Big Island situation and added eradication is not out of the question. Area representatives on other islands said they have a different story, however. Detection dogs join fight in Hawaii beetle battle 'So for Oahu and Kauai, it's actually too late for that. Our hope in places like Oahu is just to manage it until we can get a bio control,' said Rep. Lisa Marten. Marten helps to maintain Hamakua Marsh in Kailua and puts up nets that help trap beetles when they try to burrow into palms. The bio control idea is something the University of Hawaii is currently looking into in order to find a virus that will target coconut rhinoceros beetles while leaving native species alone. 'And then once we find something that is effective then it could be released to the wild and the beetles themselves would spread it in the population and keep the populations down, which is something that's happening, for example, in South Asia,' she said. for more info on traps. for more info on sprays and injections. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
