Four people, including two Belgian teenagers, have been fined by a Kenyan court after being caught trying to take thousands of live ants out of the country without permission.
The incident has sparked attention both locally and abroad, as wildlife authorities labeled it a case of “bio-piracy”—the illegal extraction of natural resources for profit.
The teenagers, David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 18, were arrested in Nakuru County, about 160 kilometers from Nairobi, with over 5,000 queen ants stored in more than 2,000 plastic tubes. The ants, including the rare Messor cephalotes species, were reportedly meant for private collections or exotic pet markets overseas.
Two other men, Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam and Dennis Nganga of Kenya, were also caught in possession of ants stored in syringes filled with cotton wool and two sealed containers. Though the two cases were technically separate, the four were tried together in court.
All four individuals pleaded guilty to illegal possession of wildlife but denied any intention to traffic the ants. The court imposed a fine of one million Kenyan shillings (around $7,740) on each defendant, with the option of serving one year in prison if the fine is not paid. This is a common penalty in Kenya for anyone found with wildlife specimens without the necessary permits.
During the trial, Lornoy was described as a hobbyist who keeps ant colonies at home in Belgium and is active in online communities focused on ant keeping. He told authorities he was unaware that removing ants from the country without authorization was against the law.
Still, the court noted the broader pattern of foreign nationals exploiting Africa’s biodiversity, referencing a history of resource extraction by outsiders. Though the judge acknowledged the teens were likely unaware of the legal implications, the verdict highlighted the seriousness of wildlife crimes in Kenya.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials estimate the seized ants were worth nearly $8,000 on the black market. A single queen ant of the species involved can reportedly fetch around $99. KWS said the group planned to smuggle the ants to Europe and Asia, where the demand for rare insects as exotic pets has been steadily growing.
The agency added that the case was not just a violation of wildlife laws but also an example of bio-piracy—a growing concern for African nations as foreign collectors look to the continent’s unique species for commercial use.
Kenya’s strict wildlife laws are designed to protect its rich and often endangered biodiversity. Though this case may not involve large animals like elephants or rhinos, authorities said it serves as a warning that all forms of wildlife trafficking, even involving small insects, will be met with firm action.