Mexico intercepts a trafficking scheme smuggling native ants to SE Asia

Mexican authorities person intercepted Amazon parrots, peacock turtles, howler monkeys and adjacent baby crocodiles successful caller years, but the country’s latest lawsuit of amerciable wildlife trafficking centers connected a acold smaller animal: queen ants.

Earlier this month, biology officials successful the west-central authorities of Jalisco seized 105 queen ants hidden wrong integrative toys and labeled arsenic “collectible figures” successful a shipment bound for Southeast Asia, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) said.

A bundle flagged arsenic suspicious astatine a parcel transportation concern adjacent Guadalajara, Jalisco, turned retired to incorporate ant-bearing trial tubes hidden wrong children’s toys.  (Profepa)

The find was made July 9 aft a parcel institution flagged a suspicious bundle successful El Salto, Jalisco, extracurricular Guadalajara. The bundle was addressed to Laos, a landlocked state betwixt Vietnam and Thailand.

Inside, inspectors recovered the insects sealed successful idiosyncratic trial tubes and concealed wrong artifact figures, including 1 containing 22 tubes and different with 83. Each tiny conduit appeared to incorporate fabric and moisture, the modular mode to location queen ants successful trial tubes.

Experts determined that it was not feasible to support truthful galore ants live successful that mode due to the fact that of their biologic needs.

According to a Profepa property release, 87 ants survived and were aboriginal released into the Cerro Viejo Protected Natural Area, portion 18 died.

The seized ants beryllium to the genus Pogonomyrmex and are commonly known arsenic harvester ants. They are autochthonal to Mexico and play a relation successful effect dispersal and ungraded wellness successful arid ecosystems.

The seized ants acceptable into a increasing niche hobby successful Europe and Asia, wherever buyers usage queen ants to banal formicariums, specialized terrariums that location and show ant colonies. Owners ticker the ants physique tunnels, haul seeds and attraction for larvae.

The ant farms are promoted arsenic do-it-yourself ecosystems built astir a azygous fertilized queen, which tin yet nutrient thousands of workers.

Collectors and hobbyists sometimes wage 200 to 400 pesos (US $11 to $22) for a queen ant online, portion much exotic ants tin fetch up to 1,200 pesos (US $68), according to the paper El Sol de México.

Illegal wildlife trafficking remains a large contented successful Mexico. Authorities person seized hundreds of turtles connected highways and astatine airports, on with parrots, reptiles and different taxon trafficked done parcel services and borderline crossings.

The numbers particularly surged during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Profepa.

Globally, amerciable wildlife trafficking affects much than 4,000 works and carnal taxon successful astatine slightest 162 countries and territories, according to the United Nations Office connected Drugs and Crime. Some assessments person valued the amerciable wildlife commercialized astatine up to US $23 cardinal a year.

Despite the enforcement enactment successful Jalisco, nary arrests person been reported truthful far.

“Profepa volition travel up connected the corresponding administrative procedure,” the bureau stated, adding that it volition proceed to combat amerciable wildlife trafficking done surveillance and different means.

With reports from El Sol de México and Milenio