5,000 Anti-Africans
People will try to smuggle anything. Four men in two separate Kenyan cases have been charged with illegal wildlife trafficking. In the first case, two Belgian teenagers were caught with more than 5,000 ant queens in bags. The duo claims they weren’t trying to smuggle the ants for sale. The second case involves a Kenyan and a Vietnamese man. They didn’t have such a large haul, and were caught with only a few hundred ants. The kinds of ants the men had caught are highly sought after by people who like keeping ant farms. The Kenya Wildlife Service said in a statement that the four men were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-colored harvester ant native to East Africa. These ants are very popular among people keeping ant farms, mostly due to their size and coloration. Their queens are more than two inches long, and even the smaller workers measure upward of an inch. The ants also have a shiny red and black carapace, and they build complex colonies that make for an impressive ant display. In total, they would’ve been worth thousands of dollars. Who knew that ants were so valuable?
Due to the coincidental timing of the two smuggling busts and the similarity of the cases, all four men appeared in front of a Kenyan court on April 15. Each was charged with illegal possession and trafficking of wildlife. The first case involves two 19-year-old Belgian nationals, Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx. In their possession, officers roughly 5,000 ant queens packed into 2,244 containers. The ant housings were fashioned out of test tubes and modified plastic syringes stuffed with wool for cushioning. “Investigations revealed that the test tubes had been designed to sustain the ants for up to two months and evade airport security detection, including X-ray scanners,” the KWS said in a statement.
The wildlife authority claims they planned to sell the ants to exotic pet collectors in Europe and Asia. For their part, the teens pleaded guilty, but denied they intended to sell the ants. They claimed they had simply collected the bugs for “fun.” “But why were these fellas trying to smuggle ants? For the same reason people smuggle anything — they’re worth a lot of money. Traditionally, wildlife traffickers have focused on smuggling body parts of large animals, such as elephants and rhinos. They have been sought-after items among big game hunters and such, but recent crackdowns and tightening security has made carrying elephant tusks more difficult. So, smugglers have turned to much smaller animals, such as ants. Despite their minuscule size, bugs can be very valuable. Due to all these facts, they’re very expensive. England-based Ants R’ Us, for instance, sells one queen for $132, while the Polish Ant On Top store asks for a whopping $260.
The Kenyan authorities estimated that the smugglers’ haul was worth around $7,800. Who knew that ants were so valuable? Garden ants concealed in syringes were presented to court as two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan appeared for their hearing, after they pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants.
Antics
What do you call an ant that has no concerns or cares?
Nonchalant.
I just read that a single ant can live to be 29 years old.
Anyone know how long the married ones live?
I bought an ant farm.
I don’t know where I’m gonna find a tractor that small.
What do you call an ant that fights crime?
A vigil-ante.
April 18th Birthdays
1946 – Hayley Mills, 1921 – Barbara Hale, 1961 – Jane Leeves, 1985 – America Ferrrara
1954 – Rick Moranis, 1963 – Conan O’ Brien, 1947 – James Woods, 1962 – Jeff Dunham