// Office of The Director Of Public Prosecutions / X; Ant On Top
David Lornoy and knew Lodewijckx
Two 19-year-old Belgians confessed to guilty of wild animal piracy-part of a growing trend of “less visible” creature for sale as exotic pets.
Operations against stolen hunting are family ground for the agents of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), an armed force in charge of protecting the country’s iconic creatures.
As Operations against stolen hunting They are family territory for the agents of the Kenia Wildlife Service (KWS), an armed police force in charge of protecting emblematic creatures of the country.
But what was waiting for KWS agents earlier this month, during a search for a guest house in the west of the country, was at the same time greater and smaller On the scale than the smuggling operations they normally find, the.
Had More than 5,000 smuggled animals, caged in your own enclosures. Each of these animals, however, was approximately the size of A Mindine Finger Nail: 18 to 25 mm.
The cargo, which two Belgian teenagers apparently intended to send to Exotic animal markets In Europe and Asia, it was ant.
The ants were caged in a Mixture of test tubes and syringes With cotton – environments that, according to authorities, would keep insects alive for weeks.
“We didn’t come here to infringe any law. It was by accident and stupidity that we did it, ”he says Lornoy David, One of the Belgian smugglers.
David and Seppe Lodewijckxboth 19, confessed guilty after being accused last week Wildlife Piracyalong with two other men, in a separate case, who were caught to smuggle 400 ants.
The cases launched a new light on global ant trade – An expanding business, which authorities say is a growing trend of “Less visible” creature trafficking.
These crimes represent “a change in traffic trends – Of large iconic mammals for less known speciesbut ecologically critical, ”says a statement from KWS.
This unusual case also drew attention to the niche world of creating and ant collection – a hobby that, according to a 2023 on Science Direct, has exploded in the last decade.
Seized species include Harvest cephalotesa large native red ant of eastern Africa.
The queens of this species They grow up to about 20 to 24 mmand the ant sales site describes them as “The kind of dream of many people ”, selling them about 120 EURO SPHO COLONIA.
Ants are appreciated by collectors for their unique behaviors and Complex colony construction skills“Characteristics that make them popular in the circles of exotic petswhere they are kept in specialized habitats known as formicaries, ”says KWS.
An online ant salesman who asked not to be identified, says the market is thriving and has been growing in ant exhibitions, where enthusiasts gather to compare details on the housing and the species.
“Sales volume has grown almost every year. There are more ant salesmen than before and prices have become more competitive,” the seller tells The Guardian.
“In today’s world, where most people have an accelerated life driven by technology, many are turned off from themselves and their environment,” says the ant salesman. “Observing ants in a formicário can be surprisingly therapeutic“.
Scientists have manifested concern that increasing trade in exotic ants can represent a significant risk for biodiversity.
“Ants are marketed as pets around the world, but if introduced outside its native habitatsthey could become invasive, with terrible environmental and economic consequences, ”conclude the authors of the 2023 study, who tracked the ant trade in China
“The most sought after ants have greater invasive potential“Note the investigators.
Illegal export “not only Harms Sovereign Rights of Kenya about its biodiversity, but also deprives local communities and research institutions for potential ecological and economic benefits, ”says KWS.
Second Dino MartinsEntomologist and Evolutionary Biologist Kenyan, the ants are among the most important insects in Savana African, and any trade in these species is intended to have negative consequences for pasture ecology.
The entomologist says he is surprised to see that smugglers who feed the global pet trade are focusing on their attention in Kenya, since “Ants are among the most common insects and widespread ”.
“The insect trade can actually be done more sustainablythrough controlled creation of insects. This can support subsistence means in rural communities, such as the Kipepeo project, which creates butterflies in Kenya, ”says Martins.
Philip MuruthiVice President of Conservation at the African Foundation for Wildlife in Nairobi, highlights that ants enrich the soils, allowing germination and providing food to other species.
“When you see a healthy forest… You don’t think about what is making it healthy. It’s relationships from bacteria to ants and bigger things, ”he says.
