A Chinese national has been sentenced to a year in prison for attempting to smuggle thousands of live queen garden ants out of Kenya. The court in Nairobi on Wednesday also fined Zhang Kequn 1 million Kenyan shillings (approximately £5,713 or $7,737). Judge Irene Gichobi described Zhang as not 'entirely honest' and lacking in remorse. Last month, he was charged with illegally dealing in wildlife species after being arrested at Nairobi's main airport while attempting to travel to China with over 2,000 ants packed in his luggage. Kenyan authorities have warned of a growing demand for the ants in Europe and Asia, where they are prized by collectors and can be worth about $220 (£170) each. Judge Gichobi emphasized the need for a stiff deterrent sentence given the rising cases of dealing in garden ants and the negative ecological consequences. After serving his prison term, Zhang will be 'referred to his home country.' He has 14 days to appeal against the sentence, which his lawyer announced he plans to do. Initially pleading not guilty to the charges—including dealing in live wildlife—he later changed his plea to guilty. The court learned that Zhang had purchased the ants from a Kenyan national, Charles Mwangi, for 10,000 Kenyan shillings (£58 or $77) for every 100 ants. Mwangi has also been charged and is currently out on bail. The trafficking of garden ants has emerged as a contentious issue, with previous cases resulting in similar sentences for those caught smuggling these insects.