Audio By Vocalize
Chinese national Zhang Kequn has been sentenced to one year in prison and fined Sh1 million for attempting to smuggle about 2,000 live queen garden ants (Messor cephalotes) through Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Kequn’s case is not isolated. It is similar to another incident reported last year when two Belgian teenagers, a Vietnamese national, and a Kenyan were convicted for trafficking over 5,000 prized ants—also destined for the exotic pet trade in Europe and Asia.
The two Belgians entered our country using tourist visas and set base at the Hells Gate National Park in Nakuru County and proceeded to collect the ants for export. Earlier incidents, including arrests in 2023 of Kenyan nationals with ants worth Sh300,000 that they intended to transport to France, are proof that insects are now the new frontier of wildlife crime.
In 2024, the Kenya Wildlife Task Force launched an operation called Ridley, which targeted people who were, at the time, trading illegally in the African Rock Python. These incidents point to the widespread nature of illegal trade in ants and reptiles that must be contained immediately.
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (2013) classify insects as protected wildlife. In essence, therefore, one must get a permit from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) before collecting and exporting ants and other animal species that must be protected to preserve them.
National vigilance
At a minimum, violators face fines of a minimum Sh1 million or jail terms. Enforcement of the laws, however, remains weak. Moreover, no ant species is listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), leaving trade in ants largely unregulated internationally and only dependent on national vigilance.
The critical role of ants in the ecosystem cannot be ignored. Unsustainable harvesting could push some populations toward extinction.
Illegal trade in ants denies communities critical ecological services, which are necessary for them to shore up food security.
The government must step up screening at airports by deploying advanced detection equipment for live specimens. The need for tougher deterrent penalties cannot be gainsaid.
There is a need to seal loopholes that exist in the Wildlife Act. Countries should also urge CITES to set up international ant protection laws.
The Immigration department has a duty to thoroughly vet visa applications and determine the purpose of foreigners’ visit. Many smugglers come into the country as tourists after exploiting lax entry rules.
We should not be blinded by the allure of tourism dollars and allow in criminals whose mission is loot our wildlife heritage. We must protect ants and other overlooked rare species like chameleons, snakes and other reptiles from possible extinction through unsanctioned trade.
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