Department of Agriculture

HAWAII KAI RESIDENTS FIND SNAKE IN HOME

HONOLULU – A four-foot-long boa constrictor was found yesterday in a Hawaii Kai home. Residents of the home on Poipu Drive found the snake in a laundry room area and called 911and was referred to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA). Inspectors were dispatched at about 10:00 a.m. and captured the brown-colored snake, which was coiled behind a bag of rice.

The home is undergoing renovation and the door to the area may have been left open for periods of time during construction; however, construction materials appear to have been purchased locally and were not shipped in directly. The animal is being safeguarded at the HDOA’s Plant
Quarantine Branch.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A photo opportunity will be held at 2:00 p.m. today at the Plant Quarantine Branch, 1849 Auiki Street, near Sand Island.

Boa constrictors are non-venomous and are native to Central and South America. They can grow up to 12 feet in length and have a normal diet of small mammals such as mice and rats. Snakes have no natural predators in Hawaii and pose a serious threat to Hawaii’s environment. Many species also prey on birds and their eggs, increasing the threat to endangered native birds. Large snakes can also be a danger to the public and small pets.

Individuals who have illegal animals are encouraged to turn them in under the State’s amnesty program, which provides immunity from prosecution. Illegal animals may be turned in to any HDOA Office, Honolulu Zoo or any Humane Society – no questions asked and no fines assessed. Anyone with information on illegal animals should call the PEST HOTLINE at 586-PEST (7378).

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