After state agriculture inspectors captured a live three-and-a-half-foot ball python in a Kaimukī backyard this week, we were curious: what happens to the captured animal? And what happens to other invasive stowaways that might find themselves in Hawai‘i?
Aloha State Daily reached out to the state Department of Agriculture to find out.
HDOA said earlier this week that the slithering serpent — which appeared to be docile while it was captured, likely making it an escaped pet — was being safeguarded at the department's Plant Quarantine Branch, the first line of defense when it comes to keeping pests out of the Islands.
Jonathan Ho, manager of the Plant Quarantine Branch, said in emailed responses provided to ASD by a department spokesperson that illegal animals are held under a security protocol at the PQB to prevent escape.
When a snake, like the one found in Kaimukī, is captured, he says PQB will hold the animal and may use it for outreach and educational purposes. Eventually, though, PQB will "arrange for a shipment of reptiles to a zoo or wildlife refuge on the Mainland."
In 2024 alone, 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.
In February, a venomous yellow-bellied sea snake was found washed ashore at Honoli‘i Beach in Hilo.
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 said in a announcement earlier this week about the Kaimukī snake. 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.
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, the department said.
Other animals prohibited from entering the state or being owned by private individuals include alligators, bearded dragon lizards, ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, hermit crabs, piranhas, snapping turtles, toucans and more.
The DOA also has caught mammals that are not typically found in the Islands.
For example, the DOA reported last December that a third opossum had been trapped that year 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.
Ho says that animals like skunks, opossums and raccoons that can potentially carry rabies are tested for the disease, but that can only be done after they're dead.
"The animal is humanely euthanized and HDOA veterinarians submit samples from the brain to a U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory on the Mainland," he said. "Without knowing the origin of the animal, testing is required to determine if there has been any exposure by humans or other animals to the rabies virus."
The state Department of Health notes that Hawai‘i is the only state in the country that is free of rabies, and that all cat and dogs entering the Islands must follow rabies quarantine requirements.
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. Animals turned in under the amnesty program won't be euthanized.
Ho said the amnesty program was first established in 1990 but has undergone additional changes since then. It's unclear how many animals have been surrendered through the program.
"We don't keep track of animals turned in under the program because animals that can be legally possessed are routinely also surrendered," he said. "We estimate an average of two to three dozen animals are surrendered annually."
Agriculture inspectors are the first line of defense in preventing invasive species from entering the Islands, as inspections are primarily done at the first port of entry, Ho says.
"By intercepting pests or illegal animals, there is little to no chance of them becoming established in the state," he explained. "As such, the initial investments in preventative measures, such as funding for the inspectors, are paltry in comparison to the exponentially higher costs to perpetually control a pest once it becomes established. The control costs compound should more pests become established."
Fully staffed, Ho said there are 78 inspector positions statewide and their duties vary depending on the role and location.
"Estimates on the number of inspectors needed vary depending on the regulatory needs or programmatic comparisons, with conservative estimates being about 130 inspectors," Ho said. "The biggest challenge is that comparative work in the federal government pays upwards of 20% to 30% more for similar work, which in previous years had resulted in staff leaving the HDOA for federal employment."
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
