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Here's a headline I never thought I'd read.

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[-] hammertime@lemmy.org 5 points 2 hours ago

Fucking China and their animal smuggling. Let me guess…. Ant soup? Makes your dick hard?

[-] gtownjim@piefed.ca 4 points 2 hours ago

Nobody else look at the picture and wonder if they boofed the ant capsules.

[-] k0e3@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 hour ago

We get Chinese smugglers poaching tortoises and hermit crabs here in Okinawa. So annoying.

[-] etchinghillside@reddthat.com 6 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Is there some kind of breeding technique to cultivating a large quantity of queens? Or is this just pure brute force poking at a bunch of hives/nests/mounds?

[-] thenextguy@lemmy.world 21 points 7 hours ago

Ryan Reynolds "but why" GIF.

[-] tal@lemmy.today 8 points 5 hours ago

It is believed that the intended destinations were the exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia.

[-] Grimy@lemmy.world 14 points 7 hours ago

To sell. Foreign ant queens can be worth like 200$ a pop easy.

[-] QuantumSparkles@sh.itjust.works 2 points 37 minutes ago

but why?

[-] thenextguy@lemmy.world 14 points 7 hours ago

Ryan Reynolds "but why" GIF.

These rare ants are in high demand for culinary and ornamental use abroad

Can I get my shark fin soup with rare queen ant garnish?

[-] Grimy@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

So I don't know about culinary but I'm guessing it's mostly for ant farms.

[-] Trilogy3452@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

To annoy neighbors? What do they do with they ants

Edit: looks like just as a hobby

[-] Grimy@lemmy.world 1 points 31 minutes ago

I was obsessed with a few YouTube channels for a while, mainly antscanada. It looks like a fun hobby tbh, I almost got myself a farm.

[-] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 7 points 7 hours ago

That looks like the final boss of Japanese capsule vending machines.

[-] Kowowow@lemmy.ca 5 points 6 hours ago

Feels like it would be easier to smuggle a handfull then start farming them

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

Farming non-native species can be incredibly difficult.

[-] Kowowow@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 hours ago

Harder than digging and collecting then smuggling 2000 ant queens?

[-] SlimePirate@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 6 hours ago

I am trying to understand who buys them and why ?

[-] CommanderCloon@lemmy.ml 5 points 5 hours ago

Rich people and collecting weird stuff

[-] tal@lemmy.today 4 points 5 hours ago

It is believed that the intended destinations were the exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia.

[-] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

It's all just a big misunderstanding, he was worried that the little bag of peanuts would leave him unsatisfied and hungry on the flight home.

[-] chaogomu@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

See, that's actually the illegal part.

this post was submitted on 12 Mar 2026
123 points (100.0% liked)

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