They might be small and largely inconspicuous, but ants are becoming big business for a growing market of enthusiasts. In April, Kenyan authorities intercepted two Belgian teenagers, a Vietnamese national, and a local accomplice as they attempted to smuggle 5,400 live queen ants out of the country.

Their illicit cargo, consisting mainly of the Messor cephalotes species, was carefully packed into over 2,200 modified test tubes and syringes, all designed to keep the ants alive during their journey to European terrariums. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) estimated the collection’s local value at approximately 1.2 million Kenyan shillings, though European collectors might have paid as much as one million US dollars for the entire haul – a clear indication that the ant trade is becoming a lucrative target for smugglers.

This marks another troubling shift in the world of wildlife crime. According to Prof Henk Bouwman from the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management at North-West University (NWU) in South Africa, such trafficking poses a significant threat to local ecosystems unprepared for the arrival of foreign species.

“Smuggling ants is a serious issue. Moving any animal to a region where it does not naturally occur is risky. Ants are a fascinating group – there are between 12,000 and 15,000 known species, with estimates suggesting the real number could be more than double that. They thrive in almost every habitat, from deep underground to the top of rainforest canopies,” he explains.

“Rainforest ants, for instance, have evolved such precise adaptations that if they fall from a tree, they can steer themselves back to the trunk, avoiding a long and potentially deadly descent. This level of specialisation makes them incredibly successful in their native environments, but it can also make them devastating invaders. When introduced to regions without natural predators or competing species, they can wreak havoc on local ecosystems and even economies,” Bouwman adds.

As traditional smuggling targets like elephants and rhinos come under increased protection, traffickers are turning their attention to smaller, less conspicuous species. For conservationists, this is a stark reminder that preserving Africa’s natural heritage must include not only its largest residents but also its smallest.