A Kenyan court sentenced four men to one year in prison or a $7,700 fine for attempting to smuggle thousands of live queen ants, including a valuable species, out of the country.
Among those convicted were two Belgian teenagers who claimed they were collecting the ants as a hobby.
In a related case, a Vietnamese national and a Kenyan received the same sentence for possessing 400 ants. Authorities highlighted that such trafficking undermines Kenya’s biodiversity and economic interests.