NEWS RELEASE: NEARLY 4-FOOT BALL PHYTHON CAPTURED IN WAIʻANAE

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & BIOSECURITY

ʻOIHANA MAHIʻAI A KIAʻI MEAOLA

SHARON HURD

CHAIRPERSON

KA LUNA HOʻOKELEKA LUNA HOʻOKELE

DEAN M. MATSUKAWA

DEPUTY TO THE CHAIRPERSON

KA HOPE LUNA HOʻOKELE

NEARLY 4-FOOT BALL PHYTHON CAPTURED IN WAIʻANAE

Illegal Reptile Found at Camp Waiʻanae

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date October 20, 2026

NR26 - 23

HONOLULU - The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) has captured a ball python found at Camp Waiʻanae on the leeward coast and will host media for a photo opportunity and question-and-answer session at 1 p.m. today.

Credentialed media are asked to RSVP before 12 p.m. The location details will be provided upon confirmation of attendance.

Honolulu Police responded to a snake-sighting report from Camp Waiʻanae area Saturday night and called the Hawaiian Humane Society, which in turn called DAB. Biosecurity officers were dispatched and took possession of the captured, 45-inch-long snake near 85-1508 Haleahi Road. The Plant Quarantine Branch has custody of the non-venomous snake and testing is underway to determine its sex.

Residents are reminded that snakes are illegal in Hawaiʻi. Persons possessing illegal animals are subject to stiff penalties, including fines of up to $200,000 and up to three years in prison.

Individuals who see or know of illegal animals in Hawaiʻi are encouraged to contact the state's toll-free PEST HOTLINE at 643-PEST (7378) or turn them in under the state's Amnesty Program.

Snakes have no natural predators in Hawaiʻi and pose a serious threat to Hawai'i'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. Large snakes may also be a threat to the health and safety of humans, pets and other domestic animals. Ball pythons may grow up to six feet in length and are common in the pet trade on the continent.

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