A live, three-and-a-half foot non-venomous ball python was captured by state agriculture inspectors Sunday. The serpent was found in the backyard of a Kaimukī residence.
According to the state Department of Agriculture, the homeowner saw the snake in the afternoon but thought it was a child's toy. He called 911 after he noticed it moving later in the evening.
Police officers on the scene contacted inspectors from the Plant Quarantine Branch, who arrived at the home around 11:30 p.m. and used snake tongs to capture the animal, the DOA said in an announcement Tuesday.
"While being captured and handled, PQB inspectors noted the snake was very docile, likely making it an escaped pet," the department said. The animal is being safeguarded at the PQB.
How often does the Department of Agriculture get reports of snakes? Aloha State Daily asked, but department officials could not immediately provide a number.
Last November, though, a live nonvenomous gopher snake was found in a container of Christmas trees being unloaded in Hilo, the department announced at that time. Another non-venomous ball python was found in a Waipahu home in April 2024, and a non-venomous gopher snake was found in a shipping container in Molokai in January of that year.
Snakes have no natural predators in the Islands and pose a threat to Hawai‘i's environment "because they compete with native animal populations for food and habitat," the department says. Species like the ball python also prey on birds and bird eggs which can threaten endangered bird species, while large snakes can pose a threat to humans, pets and other domestic animals, the announcement noted.
According to the DOA, the animals are illegal to import or possess in the state. Anyone found with illegal animals may be charged with a class C felony, face fines of up to $200,000 and may face up to five years in prison.
Anyone who might have illegal animals can voluntarily surrender them without penalty at any DOA office, local Humane Society or municipal zoos under an amnesty program, the department said, noting that animals turned in under the amnesty program won't be euthanized.
Have information on illegal animals? Call the state's toll-free pest hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378). You can also call the hotline if you see a snake in the wild — or call 911 if you don't know the hotline number, a department spokesperson said.
In addition to snakes, the DOA reported last December that a third opossum had been trapped in Honolulu. Another opossum was caught at a big box store in Kona in January. A skunk was captured at Honolulu Harbor in October 2024.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
