Two Mozambican residents were apprehended in neighboring Malawi after being found in possession of a protected pangolin.

The suspects, aged 40 and 46, were arrested by the Malawian police in the central Mchinji district, where they were allegedly looking for a potential buyer for the pangolin.

Mchinji police public relations officer said that on questioning, the suspects revealed the animal had been captured in Chifunde in Mozambique's western Tete province where they come from.

They are due to appear in court to face charges of trafficking a protected species.

Pangolins are the most-trafficked mammals in the world with high demand for their scales and claws used in traditional medicine - with fears they could become extinct.