Khaberni - The Kenyan court, on Wednesday, sentenced a Chinese man to 12 months in prison with a fine estimated at about $7,746 after he was caught while attempting to smuggle live ants out of the country.
The judge who delivered the verdict in the case stated that issuing this strict sentence was necessary as a deterrent amid the increasing incidents of ant smuggling from Kenya, according to Reuters.
This activity serves markets such as China, where enthusiasts pay large sums to keep colonies of ants inside large transparent vessels known as "formicariums," which allow them to study the complex social structures and behaviors of these insects.
The Chinese citizen, Zhang Kekun, was detained last month at Nairobi's main international airport after he was found to have more than 2,200 live garden ants in his luggage.
Zhang's lawyer said he would appeal the verdict issued against him, noting that the accused initially pleaded innocent including to charges of trading wildlife species, before later changing his statement and confessing his guilt.
A Kenyan man named Charles Mwangi was also charged in the same case, suspected of supplying Zhang with the ants.
Last year, the judiciary decided to fine four men about $7,764 each after they attempted to smuggle thousands of ants out of the country.
Wildlife experts confirmed that the increasing number of ant smugglers indicates a shift in biological piracy from traditional commodities such as ivory to less known species such as ants.
