Three men from Kinango in Kwale County were arrested after being found with the endangered Pangolin animal.
Police who are investigating the incident arrested the suspects; Pas Mwiti, 30, Kabwere Tembe, 26, and Salim Nduria, 22.
The trio posed as traffickers of the highly-sought-after mammal, and were arrested after a tip-off from members of the public.
Moreover, the three suspects were arrested after a dramatic chase with detectives and the Pangolin rescued, before being ferried to Nairobi.
“Two of the suspects attempted to set the animal free and took flight. This prompted the detectives to chase after the scary mammal with a full armour of scales and the two men, leaving a thick cloud of dust. “However, they finally restrained the duo and the mammal and gave them a ride to Nairobi, ” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said.
Furthermore, the trio are now held at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi.
In addition, the animal has been handed over to Kenya Wildlife Service officials at the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.
Nonetheless, reports say that Pangolin trade is one of the most lucrative animal trafficking dealings across the world.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the animals, which are not reptiles as many think, are trafficked mainly for their scales.
The scales of the Pangolin is believed to treat a variety of health conditions in traditional medicine, as well as a luxury food.
Moreover, a kilo of pangolin in Vietnam costs approximately Ksh.42,000, while the whole animal can fetch up to Ksh.4 million.
Besides, Pangolin foetus is alleged to be an aphrodisiac.
