Two Belgian teenagers were caught with 5,000 ants in Kenya and faced a choice between paying a $7,700 fine or serving 12 months in prison. Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19, were arrested on April 5 at a guesthouse in Nakuru county and charged on April 15 for violating wildlife conservation laws.
Magistrate Njeri Thuku ruled that despite the teens claiming naivety and collecting ants as a hobby, the specific species they gathered is valuable. The Kenya Wildlife Service stated that the teenagers were trafficking messor cephalotes—distinctive large red harvester ants native to East Africa—to European and Asian markets, representing an emerging trend in trafficking lesser-known wildlife species.
The teens’ lawyer, Halima Nyakinyua, described the sentence as “fair” and confirmed they would not appeal. According to KWS, the illegal export of these ants “undermines Kenya’s sovereign rights over its biodiversity and deprives local communities of potential ecological and economic benefits.” In a related case, two other individuals found with 400 ants received identical fines.
Belgian Teens Fined $7,700 for Smuggling 5,000 Ants from Kenya
