<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2026/may/13/smuggled-illegal-global-trade-giant-harvester-ants-kenya-asia-europe>
"In the biblical text
Book of Proverbs, King Solomon describes the harvester
ant as a model of wisdom and industriousness: “Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!”
Almost 3,000 years later, the thriving international parallel market for a
distinct species of the ant native to east Africa has been thrust into the
global spotlight after a series of convictions in Kenya for ant smuggling.
In the most recent case, Zhang Kequn, a Chinese national, was sentenced to a
year in prison and fined 1 million Kenyan shillings (£5,690) on 15 April after
his arrest in March at Jomo Kenyatta international airport, where authorities
found more than 2,200 live ants in specialised tubes in his luggage that was
destined for China.
The insects included 1,948
Messor cephalotes, a prized species commonly known
as the giant African harvester ant.
The presiding principal magistrate, Irene Gichobi, said a “deterrent sentence”
was needed because of rising cases of ant smuggling in Kenya and the ecological
impact of the trade.
Kequn’s case was the third such in less than a year in Kenya, pointing to a
growing market for ants as exotic pets in Asia and Europe.
Ant collectors and hobbyists in these regions pay large sums for the insects,
which they put in formicariums, or ant farms, to observe and study their
colonies and behaviours.
A study released in 2023 on the biological invasion risk of online ant sales in
China found that
Messor cephalotes was the third most popular species among
non-native ants traded in the country over the internet during a six-month
period in 2021.
Kequn was charged alongside Charles Mwangi, a Kenyan who allegedly sold him the
ants and is out on bail. Prosecutors said Kequn paid 100 Kenyan shillings for
each ant.
One giant African harvester queen ant can fetch up to £235 in exotic pet
markets in Europe, Asia and North America, according to Pat Stanchev, the
general manager of Best Ants UK, an online store. That is 40 times the Kenyan
price."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
