International ant collectors stir controversy amid influx of black market trafficking

International ant collectors stir controversy amid influx of black market trafficking

Move over, ivory and rhino horn — there's a new, unexpected player in the world of wildlife trafficking: live ants. In parts of Kenya, collectors are targeting queen ants and selling them into a growing black market fueled by hobbyists who keep colonies as pets, the BBC reported. What's happening? During the rainy season, swarms of ants emerge from underground nests across regions like Gilgil. This brief window is when queen ants, the only ants …