Nairobi, Kenya – Two Belgian teenagers Found with 5,000 ants in Kenya They were given a choice of a fine of $ 7,700 or to serve 12 months in prison – the maximum penalty for a misdemeanor – for violating the Law on Wildlife Protection.
Authorities said that the ants were intended for European and Asian markets in the teaching trend of trafficking in human beings in a more familiar kind of wild.
Belgian citizens Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both of 19 years, were arrested on 5. April 5,000 ants in the away house in Nakura district, which is home to various national parks. 15. April were charged.
The Magistrate Njura Thuko, sits in court at the main airport of Kenya on Wednesday, in spite of the teenagers in court naive and collected ants, some species they collected valuable and had thousands of them.
The Kenya Wild Animal Service said that the teens were involved in ants trade in markets in Europe and Asia, and that species included Mesfor Cefalote, characteristic, large and red combine.
“This is out of the hobby. Indeed, there is a bite shortage of Messor Ceppholates online,” Thuka said in her judgment.
Illegal exports of ants “does not only undermine the sovereign rights of Kenya over its biological diversity, but also drifted in local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits,” KWS said in the statement.
In a separate but related case, two more men charged after they were found with 400 ants, they are a monetary and $ 7,700 each with the possibility of serving 12 months in prison.
The spirit of Hung Nguyen, Vietnamese National, told the court that he had sent ants to pick up ants and arrived at the Keni’s main airport, where he met his contact person, and traveled to the locals who sell the ants.
Ng’ang’a, who is from Kenya, said he did not know that it was illegal because the ants are sold and eaten locally.
The Magistrate Thuko described Ng”Ang’a and Nguyen’s meeting as “part of the complex scheme” during the verdict.
Experts in Kenya in recent days have warned of the emerging trend of smaller famous kinds of wild animals.
Entomologist Shadrack Muya, a senior lecturer at Kenyan Jomo Kitteni, Technology, said the associated press that the garden ants were important for soil gasification, improving the fertility of soil and spraying seeds.
“The ants play a very important role in the environment and their interference, which is also their removal, will lead to ecosystem disorders,” he said.
Muya warned against taking ants from their natural habitats, saying they were likely to survive if they were not supported to adapt to their new setting.
“The survival in the new environment will depend on the interventions that will be likely to take place. From where it was taken out, there is probability of an ecological catastrophe that can happen because of that disorder,” he said.
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2025-05-07 09:58:00
