Two Matabeleland South men will spend the next nine years in prison after being caught trying to sell a 1.6kg pangolin skin at a long distance bus terminus in Bulawayo. Mlamuleli Moyo (35) of Maphosa Homestead in Matopo and Gugulethu Ncube (21) of Mbofana Homestead, Figtree, were convicted at the Bulawayo Tredgold Magistrates' Court for unlawful possession of a pangolin skin, a trophy from a specially protected animal under the Parks and Wildlife Act. Detectives from the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit (Bulawayo) swooped on the duo after receiving a tip-off that they were looking for a buyer. During a search, police found a blue-and-white wrapped pangolin skin weighing 1.646 kilogrammes stashed in Moyo's black satchel. The pair failed to produce a licence or permit authorising possession of the protected animal trophy. The skin was seized and later confirmed genuine by an ecologist from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. Authorities say the heavy sentence sends a clear message that Zimbabwe will not tolerate wildlife crimes. "Pangolins are among the world's most trafficked species, and every conviction is a victory for conservation," said the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) in a statement.