Two teenagers from Belgium, both aged 19, were arrested in Kenya after wildlife officials discovered more than 5,000 live queen ants hidden inside a guesthouse in Nakuru County.
The insects—identified as Messor cephalotes, a large red harvester ant native to East Africa—were stored in over 2,200 test tubes and syringes lined with cotton wool, designed to keep them alive for weeks and bypass airport checks.
The court found that the quantity and type of ants showed clear intent to supply exotic-pet collectors in Europe and Asia, dismissing the teenagers’ claim that they were simply gathering insects for personal interest.
Magistrate Njeri Thuku gave each of them the choice of paying a $7,700 fine or serving a 12-month prison term.
At the same hearing, a Vietnamese man, Duh Hung Nguyen, and a Kenyan national, Dennis Ng’ang’a, admitted to trafficking around 400 queen ants.
They received the same sentencing options—either pay the fine or spend a year in prison.
Officials warned that this incident reflects a growing shift in wildlife crime, moving from high-profile species such as elephants and rhinos to less noticed but ecologically important animals.
They cautioned that removing large numbers of ants harms Kenya’s biodiversity and denies scientists and communities potential ecological benefits.
Experts say ants enrich soil, spread seeds, and support many other forms of wildlife.
Large-scale removal risks destabilising local ecosystems and introducing invasive species abroad, which can damage crops and threaten native fauna.