Authorities seized thousands of ants worth a million Kenyan shillings
The Belgian teenagers who were detained by Kenyo authorities because of thousands of ants hiding in test tubes were accused of animal piracy on Tuesday, reports Cnn. Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx In court in Nairobi, they said in their defense that they were collecting ants for hobby and that they did not know that such collection was illegal.
In a similar court case, Kenyec was also accused in Kenya Pirava Dennis ng’ang’a and Vietnamec Hung Nguyen Spiritwho seized 400 ants.
Authorities have estimated the total value of seized ants belonging to the Messor Cephalotes species in one million Kenya shillings, or seven thousand euros. The nut, which can grow between 20 and 25 millimeters in length, costs between $ 150 and $ 180. « The collectors like the Messor Cephalotes because of the size of the ants themselves, as well as because of the size of the colonies and their exceptional growth, » the Ant On Top website writes.
The ants were wrapped in cotton wool in the tubes, as they are supposed to remain alive for a long time. Photo: Monicah Mwangi/Reuters
The Kenyan Wildlife Service made a statement stating that all four teenagers were selling ants to Europe and Asia. It was an endemic ant from East Africa, which is well desirable abroad. « Not only does illegal exports of ants hurt our environment and biodiversity, but also local communities and researchers deprive of research and potential profit, » they wrote.
In the past, Kenya has already fought against the resale of animals and limbs of larger animals, primarily elephants and rhinos. According to the Kenyan Wildlife Service, the case of an attempt to smuggle ants are « a change in direction in the world illegally, as resellers have now resorted to small animals. »
