Overview

• David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19, admitted to illegally trafficking queen ants for the exotic pet market.
• Approximately 5,000 queen ants, valued at nearly £6,000, were seized during raids in Kenya's Naivasha region and Nairobi.
• The teenagers, along with two accomplices—a Vietnamese man and a Kenyan—were part of an international network supplying collectors in Europe and Asia.
• Conservationists warn that exporting native species like queen ants could lead to invasive populations threatening ecosystems.
• This case signals a broader trend in wildlife trafficking, shifting focus from iconic mammals to smaller, ecologically vital species.