A Kenyan court has sentenced a Chinese national, Zhang Kequn, to a fine of 1 million shillings ($7,746). And a 12-month jail term for attempting to smuggle over 2,200 live garden ants out of the country. Zhang was arrested last month at Nairobi’s main international airport when the ants were found in his luggage.
Initially, Zhang pleaded not guilty to charges of trading in live wildlife species. However, he later changed his plea to guilty, though his lawyer has announced plans to appeal the sentence.
Magistrate Irene Gichobi stressed the importance of imposing a strict penalty to deter the rising trend of ant trafficking in Kenya. These ants are often exported to international markets, including China. Where collectors pay high prices to keep them in formicariums—transparent containers used for observing ant behavior. The court also highlighted the ecological damage caused by large-scale harvesting. Noting that this form of biopiracy represents a shift in illegal wildlife trade from high-profile species like elephants and rhinos to lesser-known creatures.
The case also implicates a Kenyan citizen, Charles Mwangi, who allegedly supplied the ants to Zhang. Mwangi has pleaded not guilty and is currently out on bail, with his trial proceeding separately.
This ruling follows a similar case last year, where four individuals were fined for trafficking thousands of ants. It underscores Kenya’s growing efforts to safeguard its biodiversity from illegal exploitation.
