Latest news with #AntsRUs
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Officers stunned after uncovering bizarre smuggling operation led by two teenagers: 'Landmark case in the field'
Authorities found 5,000 smuggled ants that two Belgian teenagers planned to ship overseas to exotic pet markets. In early April, Kenya Wildlife Service officers uncovered the ants in a guesthouse in the western part of the country. According to the Guardian, two Belgian teenagers, Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, intended to ship the ants to Europe and Asia. Pet ants are growing in popularity. An anonymous online ant vendor spoke to the Guardian, saying, "In today's world … many are disconnected from themselves and their environment. Watching ants in a formicarium can be surprisingly therapeutic." The seized ants were mostly Messor cephalotes, a large red harvester species from East Africa. Ants R Us, a site that sells to ant collectors, prices Messor cephalotes at around $265 per colony. David said, "We did not come here to break any laws. By accident and stupidity, we did." The two teens likely don't realize how dangerous an invasive ant species is to an ecosystem. A 2023 paper on the ant trade, published in the journal Biological Conservation, explained that "the most sought-after ants have higher invasive potential." Invasive species topple ecosystems. They push out native creatures, deplete resources, and alter habitats. This reduces biodiversity, threatening food and water security, climate stability, and disease control. Removing species from their natural habitat also disrupts those ecosystems. Every living being, from bacteria to apex predators, plays a vital role, and ants are especially important. Dino Martins, an entomologist and evolutionary biologist in Kenya, told the Guardian that harvest ants are a crucial insect. On the African savannah, they support plant germination, contribute to soil nutrients, and create food sources for other animals. Taking them from their natural habitat could cripple these environments, and introducing them elsewhere can harm ecosystems. In short, the illegal ant market is a recipe for global disaster. Do you think we still have a lot to learn from ancient cultures? Definitely Only on certain topics I'm not sure No — not really Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Authorities are trying to stop illegal ant trading and smuggling before it becomes more severe. But this case shows how it's growing. The anonymous ant seller called this a "landmark case in the field," and noted that, "people traveling to other countries specifically to collect ants and then returning with them is virtually unheard of." In 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a message urging ant keepers to be responsible and cautious. The message said, "Although ant keeping is an exciting hobby, ant keepers must understand the risks." People should thoroughly research ant vendors and species before purchasing, and take extra care to prevent exotic ants from being released into nature. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- The Guardian
Two teens and 5,000 ants: how a smuggling bust shed new light on a booming trade
Poaching busts are familiar territory for the officers of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), an armed force tasked with protecting the country's iconic creatures. But what awaited guards when they descended in early April on a guesthouse in the west of the country was both larger and smaller in scale than the smuggling operations they typically encounter. There were more than 5,000 smuggled animals, caged in their own enclosures. Each one, however, was about the size of a little fingernail: 18-25mm. The cargo, which two Belgian teenagers had apparently intended to ship to exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia, was ants. Their enclosures were a mixture of test tubes and syringes containing cotton wool – environments that authorities say would keep the insects alive for weeks. 'We did not come here to break any laws. By accident and stupidity we did,' says Lornoy David, one of the Belgian smugglers. David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19 years old, pleaded guilty after being charged last week with wildlife piracy, alongside two other men in a separate case who were caught smuggling 400 ants. The cases have shed new light on booming global ant trade – and what authorities say is a growing trend of trafficking 'less conspicuous' creatures. These crimes represent 'a shift in trafficking trends – from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species', says a KWS statement. The unusual case has also trained a spotlight on the niche world of ant-keeping and collecting – a hobby that has boomed over the past decade. The seized species include Messor cephalotes, a large red harvester ant native to east Africa. Queens of the species grow to about 20-24mm long, and the ant sales website Ants R Us describes them as 'many people's dream species', selling them for £99 per colony. The ants are prized by collectors for their unique behaviours and complex colony-building skills, 'traits that make them popular in exotic pet circles, where they are kept in specialised habitats known as formicariums', KWS says. One online ant vendor, who asked not to be named, says the market is thriving, and there has been a growth in ant-keeping shows, where enthusiasts meet to compare housing and species details. 'Sales volumes have grown almost every year. There are more ant vendors than before, and prices have become more competitive,' he says. 'In today's world, where most people live fast-paced, tech-driven lives, many are disconnected from themselves and their environment. Watching ants in a formicarium can be surprisingly therapeutic,' he says. David and Lodewijckx will remain in custody until the court considers a pre-sentencing report on 23 April. The ant seller says theirs is a 'landmark case in the field'. 'People travelling to other countries specifically to collect ants and then returning with them is virtually unheard of,' he says. Scientists have raised concerns that the burgeoning trade in exotic ants could pose a significant biodiversity risk. 'Ants are traded as pets across the globe, but if introduced outside of their native ranges they could become invasive with dire environmental and economic consequences,' researchers conclude in a 2023 paper tracking the ant trade across China. 'The most sought-after ants have higher invasive potential,' they write. Removing ants from their ecosystems could also be damaging. Illegal exportation 'not only undermines Kenya's sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits', says KWS. Dino Martins, an entomologist and evolutionary biologist in Kenya, says harvester ants are among the most important insects on the African savannah, and any trade in them is bound to have negative consequences for the ecology of the grasslands. 'Harvester ants are seed collectors, and they gather [the seeds] as food for themselves, storing these in their nests. A single large harvester ant colony can collect several kilos of seeds of various grasses a year. In the process of collecting grass seeds, the ants 'drop' a number … dispersing them through the grasslands,' says Martins. The insects also serve as food for various other species including aardvarks, pangolins and aardwolves. Martins says he is surprised to see that smugglers feeding the global 'pet' trade are training their sights on Kenya, since 'ants are among the most common and widespread of insects'. 'Insect trade can actually be done more sustainably, through controlled rearing of the insects. This can support livelihoods in rural communities such as the Kipepeo Project which rears butterflies in Kenya,' he says. Locally, the main threats to ants come not from the illegal trade but poisoning from pesticides, habitat destruction and invasive species, says Martins. Philip Muruthi, a vice-president for conservation at the African Wildlife Foundation in Nairobi, says ants enrich soils, enabling germination and providing food for other species. 'When you see a healthy forest … you don't think about what is making it healthy. It is the relationships all the way from the bacteria to the ants to the bigger things,' he says.
Al Arabiya
15-04-2025
- Al Arabiya
Kenyan agents bust plot to smuggle giant ants for sale to foreign insect lovers
Four smugglers caught trying to transport thousands of live ants out of Kenya for sale on exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia will be sentenced for trafficking wildlife in a case being hailed as a milestone by the Kenya Wildlife Service. The KWS said authorities had intercepted live queen ants, including from the sought-after Messor Cephalotes species also known as the Giant African Harvester Ant, concealed in modified test tubes and syringes. 'Investigations revealed that the test tubes had been designed to sustain the ants for up to two months and evade airport security detection,' the KWS said in a statement, describing this as 'premeditated and well-executed'. While some people may see ants as a picnic-ruining nuisance, aficionados enjoy keeping them in formicariums, transparent cases where they can watch them building complex colonies. A court document seen by Reuters stated that the authorities had intercepted about 5,000 queens packed in 2,244 containers, with a street value of about 1 million Kenyan shillings ($7,800). Two Belgians, one Vietnamese and one Kenyan pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of illegal possession and trafficking of live wildlife and appeared again on Tuesday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court. 'We did not come here to break any laws. By accident and stupidity we did,' said David Lornoy, one of the Belgian smugglers, as he asked the court to show leniency. The court adjourned the case until April 23, when it will consider pre-sentencing reports from the KWS, National Museums of Kenya and the probation officer. The smugglers are in custody. One source in the ant trade, who asked not to be named because it is a small world and they did not wish to speak for others, said suppliers needed a licence from the KWS and a health certificate in order to export Messor Cephalotes. The source said the species, native to Kenya, was much in demand and hard to obtain. The KWS trumpeted the case as a landmark in the fight against biopiracy because it involved the attempted export of Kenya's genetic resources without prior informed consent or benefit-sharing, in direct violation of the law. 'This unprecedented case signals a shift in trafficking trends - from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species,' it said in a statement. The specialist British retailer AntsRUs described the species as 'truly amazing to visually observe'. 'Messor Cephalotes are many people's dream species. Queens are around 20-24mm long and have a beautiful red and brown/black coloration,' it said. AntsRUs lists the price of a live queen from the species as 99.99 pounds ($132.44), although they are currently out of stock.
Reuters
15-04-2025
- Reuters
Kenyan agents bust plot to smuggle giant ants for sale to foreign insect lovers
NAIROBI, April 15 (Reuters) - Four smugglers caught trying to transport thousands of live ants out of Kenya for sale on exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia will be sentenced for trafficking wildlife in a case being hailed as a milestone by the Kenya Wildlife Service. The KWS said authorities had intercepted live queen ants, including from the sought-after Messor Cephalotes species also known as the Giant African Harvester Ant, concealed in modified test tubes and syringes. "Investigations revealed that the test tubes had been designed to sustain the ants for up to two months and evade airport security detection," the KWS said in a statement, describing this as "premeditated and well-executed". While some people may see ants as a picnic-ruining nuisance, aficionados enjoy keeping them in formicariums, transparent cases where they can watch them building complex colonies. A court document seen by Reuters stated that the authorities had intercepted about 5,000 queens packed in 2,244 containers, with a street value of about 1 million Kenyan shillings ($7,800). Two Belgians, one Vietnamese and one Kenyan pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of illegal possession and trafficking of live wildlife and appeared again on Tuesday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court. "We did not come here to break any laws. By accident and stupidity we did," said David Lornoy, one of the Belgian smugglers, as he asked the court to show leniency. The court adjourned the case until April 23, when it will consider pre-sentencing reports from the KWS, National Museums of Kenya and the probation officer. The smugglers are in custody. One source in the ant trade, who asked not to be named because it is a small world and they did not wish to speak for others, said suppliers needed a licence from the KWS and a health certificate in order to export Messor Cephalotes. The source said the species, native to Kenya, was much in demand and hard to obtain. The KWS trumpeted the case as a landmark in the fight against biopiracy because it involved the attempted export of Kenya's genetic resources without prior informed consent or benefit-sharing, in direct violation of the law. "This unprecedented case signals a shift in trafficking trends - from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species," it said in a statement. The specialist British retailer AntsRUs described the species as "truly amazing to visually observe". "Messor Cephalotes are many people's dream species. Queens are around 20-24mm long and have a beautiful red and brown/black coloration," it said. AntsRUs lists the price of a live queen from the species as 99.99 pounds ($132.44), although they are currently out of stock.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kenyan agents bust plot to smuggle giant ants for sale to foreign insect lovers
By Edwin Waita and Monicah Mwangi NAIROBI (Reuters) - Four smugglers caught trying to transport thousands of live ants out of Kenya for sale on exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia will be sentenced for trafficking wildlife in a case being hailed as a milestone by the Kenya Wildlife Service. The KWS said authorities had intercepted live queen ants, including from the sought-after Messor Cephalotes species also known as the Giant African Harvester Ant, concealed in modified test tubes and syringes. "Investigations revealed that the test tubes had been designed to sustain the ants for up to two months and evade airport security detection," the KWS said in a statement, describing this as "premeditated and well-executed". While some people may see ants as a picnic-ruining nuisance, aficionados enjoy keeping them in formicariums, transparent cases where they can watch them building complex colonies. A court document seen by Reuters stated that the authorities had intercepted about 5,000 queens packed in 2,244 containers, with a street value of about 1 million Kenyan shillings ($7,800). Two Belgians, one Vietnamese and one Kenyan pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of illegal possession and trafficking of live wildlife and appeared again on Tuesday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court. "We did not come here to break any laws. By accident and stupidity we did," said David Lornoy, one of the Belgian smugglers, as he asked the court to show leniency. The court adjourned the case until April 23, when it will consider pre-sentencing reports from the KWS, National Museums of Kenya and the probation officer. The smugglers are in custody. One source in the ant trade, who asked not to be named because it is a small world and they did not wish to speak for others, said suppliers needed a licence from the KWS and a health certificate in order to export Messor Cephalotes. The source said the species, native to Kenya, was much in demand and hard to obtain. The KWS trumpeted the case as a landmark in the fight against biopiracy because it involved the attempted export of Kenya's genetic resources without prior informed consent or benefit-sharing, in direct violation of the law. "This unprecedented case signals a shift in trafficking trends - from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species," it said in a statement. The specialist British retailer AntsRUs described the species as "truly amazing to visually observe". "Messor Cephalotes are many people's dream species. Queens are around 20-24mm long and have a beautiful red and brown/black coloration," it said. AntsRUs lists the price of a live queen from the species as 99.99 pounds ($132.44), although they are currently out of stock. (Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Giles Elgood)
