Hawaii bans most exotic animals statewide to protect its ecosystem. Snakes, iguanas, ferrets, hedgehogs, gerbils, hamsters and mongooses are illegal to import or keep on the Big Island; the State Department of Agriculture enforces the list and penalties are severe.
Because Hawaii is one ecosystem, the State Department of Agriculture (HDOA) Plant Quarantine Branch, not the County, controls which animals may be imported or kept, under HRS Chapter 141/150A and HAR Chapter 4-71. Prohibited species include most snakes, iguanas and chameleons, ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, gerbils, hamsters and the mongoose. Only animals on the approved list may be brought in; dogs and cats face quarantine (up to 120 days) or the Direct Airport Release program. Illegal possession of a prohibited species such as a snake is treated as a serious offense with fines that can reach $200,000. Report an illegal or invasive animal to the statewide 643-PEST line.
Illegally importing or possessing a prohibited animal can be a class C felony with fines up to $200,000 and imprisonment, plus confiscation, under state law enforced by HDOA.
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