Kenya is confronting an unusual new form of wildlife trafficking: the smuggling of giant African harvester ants.
Outside Nairobi, entomologist Dr Dino Martins points to one of the insects’ sprawling nests.
“These are the ants who've now become world-famous because they're being traded,” he says. “Here in East Africa they are very abundant. They're one of our most common ants.”
But what seems ordinary in the wild has become highly prized among collectors abroad. Queen ants of the species Messor cephalotes can sell for hundreds of dollars online.
“When I saw the prices people were paying for these ant queens, I was completely in shock,” Martins says, attributing their popularity to their striking red colour, gentle nature and fascinating social behaviour.
