• Four individuals, including two Belgian teenagers, fined in Kenya for smuggling ants.
• Violation involves 5,000 live queen ants destined for European and Asian markets.
• Experts warn of ecological consequences due to the removal of ant species from their habitats.

A Kenyan court has sentenced four individuals, including two Belgian teenagers, to a fine of $7,700 or one year in prison for attempting to smuggle approximately 5,000 live queen ants out of Kenya. The two Belgian nationals, Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19, pleaded guilty after their arrest in April at a guest house in Nakuru County, where the ants were found in their possession. Their defense claimed they were merely hobbyists unaware of the legal implications of their actions, according to BBC and India Times.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) characterized the attempted smuggling as "bio-piracy", underscoring the value and demand for such species in global markets. The specific ant species involved, Messor cephalotes, is highly sought after in European and Asian exotic pet markets. Magistrate Njeri Thuku emphasized the severity of the case, noting that despite the teenagers' claims of innocence, the volume of ants collected was considerable, indicating trafficking intentions. This sentiment was echoed in reports from South China Morning Post and Los Angeles Times.

In a related incident, a Vietnamese national, Duh Hung Nguyen, and a Kenyan, Dennis Ng'ang'a, were also found guilty and fined for possessing 400 ants. Nguyen claimed he was uninformed of the legal status of ant trade in Kenya, while Ng'ang'a asserted ignorance regarding the legality of their actions as ants are locally sold. The KWS noted that the removal of such species from their environment could pose serious risks, as highlighted by entomologist Shadrack Muya, who noted the essential ecological roles ants play in soil health and seed dispersal. According to Africa News and Africanews, this incident reflects a troubling trend in wildlife trafficking.