Illegal snake captured in Hawaii, punishable with $200K fine and prison time
Snakes do not naturally occur in Hawaii, and possessing them is illegal.
FILE: Florida deputy rescues ball python from pool deck
A ball python was rescued from a home in Lehigh Acres, Florida, over the Fourth of July weekend.
WAIANAE, Hawaii– A nearly 4-foot-long ball python was captured at Camp Waiʻanae on O'ahu recently, and officials are warning that the person responsible for leaving the reptile could face a large fine and prison time.
Snakes do not naturally occur in Hawaii, and possessing them is illegal.
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On Oct. 17, the Honolulu Police Department responded to a snake-sighting call in the Camp Waianae area and notified the Hawaiian Humane Society, which alerted the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, who were dispatched to the location.
Hawaii, Oahu, Makaha, Lahilahi Point And The Waianae Coast. ( Education Images/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
Biosecurity officers retrieved the 45-inch-long snake from the location and brought it to the Plant Quarantine Branch, which has custody of the reptile and was figuring out what sex it was.
Ball pythons are non-venomous, and can grow up to 6 feet in the wild. They are very common snakes to have as pets due to their docile nature.
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Because snakes are not native to Hawaii, they do not have any natural predators, which means the population could go uncontrolled if they were allowed to occur there.
FILE: GAZIANTEP, TURKIYE - JUNE 16: A view of a royal python as 39 reptiles, including pythons and savannah monitors, seized in a house in Istanbul by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, have been transferred to Gaziantep Natural Life Park, in Gaziantep, Turkiye, on June 16, 2026. (Adsiz Gunebakan/Anadolu / Getty Images)
Additionally, the reptiles pose a serious threat to Hawaii’s environment because they compete with native animal populations for food and habitat.
"Many species, such as the ball python, prey on birds and bird eggs, increasing the threat to our endangered native bird species," Hawaii Governor Josh Green's office said in a news release. "Large snakes may also be a threat to the health and safety of humans, pets and other domestic animals."
The government reminds residents that possessing a snake or other illegal animals could result in a $200,000 fine and up to three years in prison.
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Other than being illegally traded, snakes are sometimes found in shipping cargo or on vessels arriving in Hawaii.
FILE: Ball Pythons are displayed at The Grand Exotic Pet & Ball Python International 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto / Getty Images)
In 2024, a gopher snake was discovered hiding among a shipment of Christmas trees that arrived in Hilo.
Workers had unloaded about half of the Christmas tree shipment when they saw the 2-foot-long reptile and reported it to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
No other snakes were found in the shipment.
FILE: A snake found in a store's container of Christmas trees in Hawaii. (Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture / FOX Weather)
Officials remind people who see or know of illegal animals to contact the state’s toll-free PEST HOTLINE at 643-PEST (7378) or turn them in under the state’s Amnesty Program.
Hawaii's Amnesty Program allows individuals to voluntarily surrender illegal animals without facing penalties, as long as the surrender occurs before an investigation is initiated.
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Hawaii has very strict regulations for the import and ownership of certain animals to protect its unique environment and agriculture, officials said.