Snake yoga sneaks into a California studio
A California yoga studio has combined its love of yoga and pythons to create a “unique experience” called “Snake Yoga.” The ball python will slither over participants during its “flow.”
Employees at a store in the Aloha State were stunned after a 2-foot-tall snake was discovered inside a shipping container packed with Christmas trees.
Staff at a store in Hilo, Hawaii, discovered the large reptile on Saturday while unloading a container of holiday trees, according to a news release from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA).
Stunned employees acted quickly and closed the container, successfully preventing the surprise snake from taking up residence on the island.
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Gopher snakes can grow up to 7 feet and kill prey such as small birds and rodents by constricting and suffocating them. (Hawaii Department of Agriculture)
Inspectors from HDOA's phytosanitary division arrived and quickly captured the crawling reptile, later identifying it as a nonvenomous gopher snake.
Authorities searched other trees in the container but found no other snakes.
In the agency's photo, the spotted snake was found after being captured. The agency said the snake was captured in Hilo and will be safely transported to Honolulu.
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Fresh Christmas trees are regularly shipped to the Hawaiian Islands during the holiday season. (St. Petersburg)
Gopher snakes can grow up to 7 feet and can constrict and suffocate and kill prey such as small birds and rodents, according to the HDOA.
Snakes have no natural enemies in Hawaii and can pose a threat to endangered native birds, humans, and small pets.
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People swimming off Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
In a statement, HDOA President Sharon Hurd thanked employees for their quick action.
“Plant quarantine officers open and inspect every container of Christmas trees and wreaths that arrive, but they do not have the resources to inspect every item in each container,” Hurd said. “We would like to thank our store staff for their quick containment of the snake and our Hilo staff for their quick response.”
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The agency said more than 45,000 Christmas trees and wreaths in about 88 containers were delivered to Hawaii. According to HDOA, a total of 135 containers are expected to arrive this season.
HDOA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
