Back in 2003, it was found that the Sars coronavirus might have originated from wild bats with the masked palm civets as an intermediary.
When these wildlife animals were brought together to the live animal market at Guangdong and sold as delicacies to restaurants, the Sars outbreak occurred.
The new coronavirus, Covid-19, has been consistently suspected to be linked with the consumption of wild animals.
People Calling For A Ban On Wildlife Animals
People in China eat all sorts of meat, including wildlife. Some parts of wildlife animals are also believed to be able to provide numerous benefits to people who eat them.
Photo from Douban of a menu at #Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market. Don’t know when it was taken, but they sell all kinds of wild animals incl. live wolf pups & palm civets. 2nd photo taken after outbreak discovered shows this storefront (3rd left) covering word “野 (wild)” in its name. pic.twitter.com/HiQlzX4XBX
— Muyi Xiao (@muyixiao) January 21, 2020
Chinese authorities are now looking at placing a ban on wildlife trade in the country. They are also considering placing wet markets under stronger surveillance.
These moves are necessary in order to “control major public health risks from the source”.
Sellers Looking Forward To Selling Wildlife Once Again
However, even with the deadly Covid-19 killing more than 2,000 people, it’s seemingly not enough to dissuade the Chinese from consuming wildlife.
The Chinese police cracked down heavily on wildlife trade and conducted raids all across the country.
Within the past two weeks, they managed to get almost 40,000 wildlife animals.
Meanwhile, traders spoken to all expressed the wish to get back into business as soon as possible.
Wildlife Trade Integral To China’s Culture
A wildlife trader who operated an online store said that people will never stop buying wildlife in China.
“People like buying (wildlife)”, he says, “Either for themselves to eat, or to give it to others.”
When used as gifts, it is “very presentable” and “gives you face”.
Cue the WTF cat in, please.
But there’s a silver lining.
Online Debate Calling For A Permanent Ban
The Covid-19 situation has sparked off an online debate and many are now calling for a permanent ban on wildlife trading in China.
Numerous academics, environmentalists and residents have joined international conservational groups in calling for a permanent ban on wildlife trading.
They have also asked for wildlife markets to be closed down permanently.
An online commenter said the “problem” is that they (Chinese nationals) “dare to eat anything”. He went on to add that those who do eat wildlife should be “sentenced to jail”.
While there are several obstacles in the way of a permanent ban, which includes:
- People’s belief in consuming wildlife animals for health benefits
- Wildlife trading generating a huge amount of profit and income for many people
- And the State Forestry Bureau which supports the use of wildlife
There’s still hope because it’s highly likely that the younger generation in China supports the idea of a permanent ban on wildlife trade.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government said that they’ll tighten laws on wildlife trafficking this year.
