Kenya’s NAIROBI (AP) — In what Kenyan officials claimed was a pattern of trafficking smaller and lesser-known species, two Belgian teens were charged on Tuesday with wildlife piracy.
After they were discovered in possession of thousands of ants packed in test tubes. During their appearance before a Nairobi magistrate,
Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, two 19-year-olds who were detained on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest home, looked distressed and were consoled by family members in the courtroom.
They claimed to be unaware of the law and informed the magistrate they were just enjoying themselves while gathering the ants.
After being arrested in possession of 400 ants, Dennis Ng’ang’a of Kenya and Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam were both charged.
With unlawful trafficking in the same courtroom in a different criminal case. Messor cephalotes, a unique, huge, red harvester ant endemic.
