Snake hitches ride in man’s backpack Posted on 18 June 2019 Tags:flying, snake A 20-year-old man got a fright when he arrived at his holiday rental in the Pukalani district of Maui, Hawaii, put his backpack down and saw a snake slither out of it. The man from Virginia had flown from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Hawaii and the slithery creature had been concealed in his bag all the way. When he discovered the juvenile snake he informed the owner of the holiday rental, who told him it is illegal to have snakes in Hawaii. According to the Department of Agriculture on the islands, ‘The owner of the rental informed the visitor and others staying in the rental that snakes are illegal in Hawaii and they reported it to Maui police’. Police contacted Dr. Fern Duvall from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) who kept the snake and delivered it to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) the next morning. Dr. Duvall said the snake ‘will be transported to Honolulu’. It’s lucky the owner of the backpack reported the incident, as owning or knowingly transporting illegal pets in Hawaii State is a Class C felony, punishable with a $200,000 (just under R3-million) fine and up to three years in prison. The reptile in question was identified as a non-venomous southern black racer snake. A small snake apparently hitchhiked to Maui in a visitor’s backpack Monday night. Fortunately, it was captured and turned in. See news release: https://t.co/ct9G0RtVS9 pic.twitter.com/K9gg2UKNUE — Hawaii Dept of Ag (@hdoapio) June 12, 2019 Snakes have no natural predators in Hawaii and are a threat to the island’s environment. They often prey on birds and their eggs, so would increase the threat to already endangered native birds on Maui. ‘Be informed about the very special place you live that is Hawaii’, said Dr. Duvall. ‘We should pay attention to what plants and animals we see – report things you feel are new to you as prevention is so much more important than having to react to established foreign pests out of control.’ Image: Hawaii Department of Agriculture Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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