Man was recorded trying to take a carnivorous Venus flytrap, NC police say
A North Carolina man is facing the possibility of time in prison after being accused of taking a Venus flytrap plant from a wilderness area, according to investigators in Brunswick County.
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The iconic insect-eating plants are native to remote parts of coastal North and South Carolina, and are a popular target of poaching for the global black market.
Timothy Carter, 43, was arrested Aug. 14 by Boiling Spring Lakes police and charged with the taking of a Venus flytrap, which is a Class H felony, officials said. The suspect lives about a 7-mile drive northwest from Boiling Spring Lakes, court records show.
The arrest is linked to an incident that occurred earlier in the year, near the intersection of Camelia and Crystal roads, police said. The crime scene is largely wilderness with dirt roads, and the victim is listed as the State of North Carolina.
“The offender was identified by footage obtained from the property owner’s camera,” officials said.
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It is against the law to “dig up, pull, take or carry away” a Venus flytrap plant or its seeds. Conviction of the offense carries the possibility of fines and up to 25 months in jail, depending on the suspect’s criminal history and the number of plants involved.
Venus flytraps are protected in North Carolina due to the continued decline of the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports.
“Populations are in decline primarily due to habitat loss and fire suppression. Regular fires minimize shrub and tree encroachment and maintain optimal habitat conditions for the Venus flytrap,” the USFW says.
“Poaching is also a serious threat to the Venus plant and increased incidents of theft have been prosecuted in recent years.”
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Boiling Spring Lakes is bout a 150-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.
This story was originally published August 20, 2026 at 1:19 PM.
