Four Men Have Pleaded Guilty to Kenya To Trying to Smuggle Hundreds Highly Sought-After Ants Of The Country.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which is more used to protecting to Larger Creatures, Such as Lions and Elephants, has described this as A as A “Landmark Case”.
The Contraband included Giant African Harvester Ants, which are even Valued by SOME UK dealers up to £ 170 ($ 220) EACH.
The Case Showed A “Disturbing Shift Patterns – From Iconic Mammals to Lesser-Known Species That Are Vital to Ecological Balance”, The KWS Said.
The Suspects Had Conceealed in Creatures “Specially Modified Test Tubes and Syringes” What Would Have The Insects To Survive for Two Months, The KWS Said.
There is a Was Also A “Calculated Attempt to Bypass Security Systems” by Obscuring The Contents of the Tubes.
Photographs of the Illegal Haul Shared by The KWS Show Hundreds of These Containers Packed with Cotton Wool, Each with Two or Three Ants.
The Exact Number Of Insects Is Still Being Evaluated But KWS Spokesperson Paul Udoto Told The Country’s Was the Country’s First Case of “Bio-Piracy” on this scale.
The Four Suspects – Two Belgians, A Vietnamese and a Kenyan – Were Arrested After What the KWS has described as “A Co-Ordinated, Intelligence-Led Operation”.
It is believed that the intended destinations were Exotic Pet Markets in Europe and Asia.
The KWS Said The Demand Rare Insect Species Is Growing. Collectors Keep Them in Special Habitats, Known As Formicariums, and Watch Them Build Their Colonies.
The Giant African Harvester Ant – Or Harvest cephalotes – Is The Largest of Its Species and Can Grow to Around 20mmWith the Queen Growing Up to 25mm.
Pat Stanchev, The General Manager Of Insect Website Best Ants UK, Said That It is Their “Big And Beautiful Size” That Makes Them Attractive Those Who Want To Keep Them Them AS Pets.
He does not sell the Giant African Harvester ant BUT Told The BBC That Hey Of People Who Try To Pass On Illegally Imported Insects.
In Kenya, The Ants Are Protected by International Bio-Diversity Treaties and their Trade Is Highly Regulated.
“This prosecution Sends a strong Message That Enforce Compliance … and marks a significant Step Forward in Kenya’s Fight Against Unconventional Wildlife Crimes,” The KWS Said.
The Four Men Are Due To Be Sentenced On Tuesday.
