Man in court for keeping a pet pangolin

A Hope Fountain man,  Andrew Mutamba, 30, has landed himself in trouble with the law for keeping a pangolin as a pet.
Pangolins are one of the endangered and protected species in the country. 
Mutamba, of Gasela homestead in  Hope Fountain on the outskirts of Bulawayo, was arrested on Thursday last week after being found in possession of a live pangolin valued at about $5 000.
He had kept it for four days.
Mutamba yesterday appeared in court facing a charge of possessing a protected animal as defined in Section 45 (1) (b) of the Parks and Wildlife Act, Chapter 20:14.
He pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Miss Marilyn Mutshina.
Mutamba told the court that he was not aware that it was an offence to keep a protected animal prompting the magistrate to alter his plea to that of not guilty.
He was then remanded out of custody on his own cognisance to 5 September when his trial begins.
The State would want to prove that on 16 August police received information that Mutamba was in possession of a live pangolin.
The detectives went to his homestead at about 1pm and recovered the animal.
The animal was handed over to the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
Mr Admire Chikwayi is representing the State.