A Kenyan court on Wednesday sentenced a Chinese national named Zhang Kequn to one year in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of one million Kenyan shillings for trying to smuggle live garden queens (fertile ants capable of founding new colonies) out of Kenya.
Kenyan authorities arrested Kequn at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport more than a month ago when he tried to fly to China with more than 2,000 ants in his luggage. Authorities charged him with illegal wildlife trafficking.
Queen living garden ants have a huge market in Europe and Asia and they could be worth up to $220 each.
According to court documents, the accused brought the ants from a Kenyan national, Charles Mwangi, at $77 for 100 ants. Mwangi was also arrested and charged; however, he is currently not in custody and is out on bail.
Earlier, Kequn pleaded not guilty to the charges, but later changed his plea to guilty. Judge Irene Gichobi announced the verdict, calling the alleged smuggler “not entirely honest,” adding: “A severe deterrent sentence is necessary.”
After serving his sentence and paying the fine, Kequn will be deported to his home country, China. He has two weeks to appeal this decision.
Live garden queens are purchased primarily to create a new ant colony (formicarium) for recreational, educational or research purposes.
They are popular because a single fertile queen can produce thousands of workers, providing a quiet, low-maintenance, long-term pet.
