Ant smugglers caught: Why were they smuggling these insects?
The KWS, which normally protects larger animals such as lions and elephants, points to this action as a landmark case.
Four men, including two Belgians, a Vietnamese man, and a Kenyan man, were found guilty in Kenya of attempting to smuggle hundreds of giant African harvester ants. The defendants used modified syringes and test tubes to preserve the insects' lives for two months.
The smuggling of these harvester ants is due to high demand from collectors of exotic creatures. This is why the price in the United Kingdom reaches 170 pounds ($220) per ant.
Ant characteristics
Pat Stanchev, director of the insect sales website Best Ants UK, stated that their large and beautiful size is what makes them very attractive to people who want to keep them as pets.
The giant African harvester ant, or Messor cephalotes, is considered the largest of its species, reaching up to approximately 20 mm in length and 25 mm in the case of queens.
Legal protection for ants
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) notes that demand for exotic insect species is growing, and that collectors are keeping them in formicariums and observing them as they establish colonies. It also noted that this is the first case of large-scale biopiracy in the country.
In Kenya, harvester ants are protected by international treaties that safeguard biodiversity. The KWS states that this development sends a direct message to Kenya regarding law enforcement against wildlife crimes.