# Secrets of the ant trade

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-documentary-podcast-487670/secrets-of-the-ant-trade
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-documentary-podcast-487670/secrets-of-the-ant-trade.md
Podcast: [The Documentary Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-documentary-podcast-487670)
Published: 2026-07-09T07:30:00+00:00
Episode link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0nxmwn6
Audio file: http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss-low/proto/http/vpid/p0nxmt5h.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-documentary-podcast-487670/episodes/secrets-of-the-ant-trade
Duration seconds: 1588

## Resource

Once a quiet hobby for enthusiasts, ant-keeping has exploded into a global, multi-million-dollar business driven by social media and a rising wave of "ant-influencers". Demand for exotic species is fuelling a boom in online trading forums, and a new front in wildlife trafficking. We go to Kenya, where law enforcement has made global headlines arresting gangs as they try to smuggle thousands of prized mated queens out of the country.

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## Transcript

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