Honolulu police over the weekend found an unattended death at a Waipahu home — and a live snake.
HPD officers on Saturday morning conducted a wellness check, and found a 32-year-old man unresponsive in his residence. The man was later pronounced dead, and no suspicious circumstances were observed, according to an HPD bulletin.
Officers, however, found a non-venomous ball python measuring about 3-and-a-half feet long, and reported it to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
The department’s plant quarantine branch inspectors were immediately dispatched to the scene, where they took custody of the python.
Snakes are illegal to transport and possess in Hawaii, HDOA said, and the case has been forwarded the state Department of the Attorney General.
“We should all be very concerned that snakes are being transported and kept by residents which are a serious threat to Hawaii’s unique environment,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture, in a statement. “Those who know anyone with snakes or other illegal animals in Hawaii should report it and those who possess them should turn them in under amnesty.”
Individuals possessing illegal animals may be charged with a class C felony, and face fines up to $200,000 and three years in prison.
Under the state’s Amnesty Program, illegal animals may be turned in to any HDOA office, any municipal zoo or aquarium, or the Hawaiian Humane Society.
If turned in prior to the start of an investigation, no criminal charges or fines will be assessed.
The program was launched in order to prevent their release into the wild, where impacts to Hawaii’s ecology could be devastating if populations were established.
“Animals turned in under amnesty will not be euthanized,” said HDOA in a news release. “Depending on the species, illegal animals may be used for educational purposes, transferred to a municipal zoo or relocated to an appropriate facility on the mainland.”
Ball pythons — which grow up to six feet in length — are common in the pet trade.
Reports on illegal animals can be reported to the pest hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).
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