A Kenyan court sentenced four people on Wednesday, including two Belgian teenagers, to one year in prison or a fine of more than $7,000 for attempting to smuggle thousands of live rare ants out of the country.
The case has caught the public imagination, with the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) accusing the four of engaging in "bio-piracy" for attempting to transport the rare ants out of the country.
David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 18 of Belgium, Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam, and Dennis Nganga of Kenya had all pleaded guilty to possession of the ants, but had denied seeking to traffic the insects.
Lornoy and Lodewijckx were arrested in possession of 5,000 queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes in Nakuru County, around 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the capital, Nairobi.
