A Kenyan court sentenced four men to one year in prison or a fine of $7,700 (£5,800) for attempting to smuggle thousands of queen ants on the scene.

The four suspects - two Belgians, one Vietnamese and one Kenyan - were arrested last month, with the scene ant suspected to be a collector in Europe and Asia.

They pleaded guilty to the charges, and the Belgians told the court that they used the highly sought-after ants as a hobby and did not consider it illegal.

But the judge said the specific ant species collected were valuable, with thousands of people, not just a few.

Magistrate Njeri Thuku said: "While collecting some ants may be considered a hobby, it is found to be a hobby with 5,000 queens."

"The world has lost many species, partly because of greed. Now is the time to stop this trend."

She added: "The court will do everything possible to protect all great creatures."

Contraband includes giant African harvester ants, some of which are worth up to £170 ($220).

Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, 19, Vietnamese ethnic groups Duh Hung Nguyen and Kenyan Dennis ng'ang'a, handed over similar clauses to similar clauses after the magistrate judge believed their mitigation arguments.

The Belgians were found to have 5,000 ants, while two other ants had more than 300 ants in their apartment.

Authorities say the ants were filled with more than 2,000 test tubes filled with lint to help them survive for months.

Belgian teenagers have entered Kenya on tourist visas and live in Naivasha, a small town that is visited by tourists for its animal parks and lakes.

The court described Nguyen, 23, as a "m-son or courier" because he had just been sent to pick up the ant and the person who sent him to pay.

The court said Ng'ang'a, 26, became a "broker" because of his knowledge of the ants found in rural residences.

Ms. Thuku said during sentences Nguyen and Ng'ang'a that they were involved in what she called "illegal wildlife trade, possibly biological piracy."

The court learned that David is an ant enthusiast with 10 ant colonies in Belgium and belongs to a Facebook organization called the "Ant Gang".

The Belgian teenager first visited Kenya five years ago and said he bought 2,500 queen ants for $200 when he was arrested.

David told the court that he was unaware of his actions and he regretted that it was illegal.

Lodewijckx said he only proposed an entomological interest in buying ants, but his intention was not to trade.

The court ordered three foreigners to return them to their country of origin after paying a fine or completing the prison period.

These people have 14 days to appeal the ruling.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) praised the ruling in a statement as "proving Kenya's zero-tolerance stance on wildlife trafficking".

It also highlights the ecological importance of the huge African harvester ants and points out that their removal from the ecosystem may damage soil health and biodiversity.

The agency said the case sent a clear message that Kenya “will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone involved in the illegal wildlife trade, regardless of the species involved.”

It added: “Traders often underestimate the ecological value of smaller species, but their role in our ecosystem is irreplaceable.”

KWS is more accustomed to protecting large creatures, such as lions and elephants, earlier described it as a “landmark case”, warning that demand for rare insect species is growing.

In Kenya, ants are protected by international biodiversity treaties and their trade is highly regulated.