Kenya Court Convicts Four Ant Traffickers, Fines Each $7,700

On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, a Kenyan court fined four men $7,700 each for attempting to traffic thousands of ants out of the country, in a case that wildlife experts say signals a shift in biopiracy from iconic animals like elephants to lesser-known species.

On April 5, two Belgain teens were arrested by authorities, a Vietnamese man and a Kenyan national, accusing them of trying to smuggle roughly 5,440 giant African harvester ant queens, which Kenyan prosecutors valued at around 1.2 million Kenyan shillings ($9,300).

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Retail prices in the UK imply the catch could have fetched up to $1 million if it had reached Europe, where ant keepers maintain colonies in big transparent jars known as formicariums to watch cooperative behaviour.

Magistrate Njeri Thuku ordered the traffickers, who had all pleaded guilty, to pay the fee or face 12 months in jail.