Chinese make a New Year feast of rare species

 

Increasing prosperity in China is putting the countries wildlife at risk which is due to a fashionable passion for exotic dishes involving wild animals.

According to wildlife monitoring groups the recent Chinese New Year celebrations have been a particular threat to many endangered species with a extraordinary demand fore rare and unique animals on their festive menus. As a result of China experiencing rapid economic growth over the past two decades, large amounts of the population can now afford  a more varied and delectable diet.

 A recent survey that took place in Shenzhen, in Guangdong province concluded that a massive 95% of the inhabitants had eaten a form of wildlife and were of the opinion that eating wild animals was healthy. In the same area it was discovered that restaurants and hotels offered over 40 different species that included delicacies such as Snake, Macaques, owls, Pangolins (anteaters), giant lizards and also Civets are eaten. Many other species including a number of rare birds, officially with government protection but the laws are constantly ridiculed.

 The methods of killing the animals are often very brutal whereby restaurant customers are to select their particular meal (whether it be a innocent golden or snub-nosed monkey) and watch it being killed. An estimated 200 restaurants in the south-west of Nanning serve wild food. This is most definitely illegal but it seems very difficult to put a stop to it. Police in the Yunnan Province, in south west China have recently launched a campaign to protect wild animals. They uncovered 1,325 cases of poaching, arrested 261 suspects, rescued 2,799 wild animals, and seized 6.25 tons of products and 1,000 furs.

 

Firstly I cannot believe that endangered government protected animals are being killed. And secondly these same animals are then being killed in front of people who wish to eat them in restaurants just for their pleasure. This just shows the mentality and brutal minded people that there are in this world. Should this be happening? I will leave you to decide.

 

By Jon Howard

Bishop Heber High School