To think that China needs to sort out it's wildlife trade?

[malificent7]

I was reading that corona virus eminates from bats and now there is suspicion that it was transmitted to pangolin's which are a delicacy in China hence leading to the pandemic.
Aside the fact that pangolins are beautiful creatures in danger of extinction, we are now reaping the consequences of eating wild meat.
I understand that it is illegal to hunt pangolins...so why on earth is it still happening in a country thay seems wildly capable of stamping out other kinds of disobedience?

I honestly think that humans won't stop until we have killed, ground up and deep fried every last creature on earth. It is so worrying that people still believe that bear bile, tiger skin and rhino horns have magic powers and that it's fuelling a cross-continent conservation crisis. There also seems to be an enjoyment for eating food that is still alive and flapping around the plate after being partially fried, seeing animals dressed up, drugged and forced to dance and smoke cigarettes, etc.I don't know what the answer is. Education? But how? Cultural norms take a long time to shift and had to happen on such a large scale to be effective. I can't see it changing any time soon, sadly.
I don't think people are generally blaming isolated, rural folk who hunt and kill wild animals for food. It's more about the attraction/fad/trend/popularity in what we see as abhorrent and cruel practices and trading in known endangered animals.

Well if the pangolin is from Africa i have definately got my facts wrong!!
Aside from this...it is clearly risky to eat wildlife. The government needs to review how they feed rural chinese.
I suppose one could arbue that it's no different to the English hunting partridge or pheasant but when a global pandemic ensues due to consumption of these animals we have to ask questions.
Btw...all countries treat animals barbarically...not just the Chinese .

The Yulin Dog Meat Festival is unique to China and one of the most horrific outrages on the face of the planet.

I really wouldn't google it.

I do agree that a lot of countries treat animals badly, but China really is off the scale IMO.

With veganism becoming so popular I think this problem will be self remedying within 10-20 years especially when the generations who eat these kinds of foods are gone

I do agree that a lot of countries treat animals badly, but China really is off the scale IMO.

^
This. Barbarity Beyond belief.

Bear with me on this point!! In the 1980's whilst training to be an EHO one of the modules was on zoonosis which is the spread of animal diseases to humans. I have my notes on it (old and tatty) but they clearly say that when you put together a number of animal species from across different continents that wouldnt normally mix you get mutated virus's that we have no immunity to and that can cross the species. The real problem here and the place where many of these unique virus's are coming from, are the live animal markets in China where species from different continents are crowded in together shitting and weeing everywhere in unhygienic conditions and causing this situation.

Just so some person can buy and home kill a snake from africa and a koala for a stew, we get this. why, why, why, is this acceptable to anyone. its not a cultural right. Its a massive risk to humankind. Its not racist. I would and do say the same when this happens in other cultures but these live meat markets in China are almost unique in the variety of species, the conditions they are kept in and they way that they are sold and killed. You cannot defend something like this when it leads to pandemics - first SARS now corona. The Chinese government have to ban these markets now. because unless they do this is going to keep on happening and the next one could have a mortality rate of 90%.

www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/25/coronavirus-closures-reveal-vast-scale-of-chinas-secretive-wildlife-farm-industry

Well this isn't horrifying at all......

Absolutely vile!!

Gingernaut - we need to be sharing the hell out of this. This absolutely scares the beejesus out of me.

There were TV programmes dedicated to showing how it's done!!

Makes a change from Eat Well For Less......

@Surfer25 It is NOT racist . Christ almighty its people like YOU who are a danger as you would like to shut up debate .

Go away with your common purpose .

@MaybeNew - there are also Asian Pangolins. They are native to China. But I agree, I imagine they wouldn't be cheap to buy to eat.

Well I certainly had a wtaf moment when I read about the scale of China’s ‘wildlife farming’ in yesterday’s guardian -

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/25/coronavirus-closures-reveal-vast-scale-of-chinas-secretive-wildlife-farm-industry

Over 20,000 farms breeding eg civet cats, pangolin, peacocks etc.

@EnidBlyton seriously ? You need to do more research

With veganism becoming so popular I think this problem will be self remedying within 10-20 years especially when the generations who eat these kinds of foods are gone
Not in China it won’t !

How about we all stop being so racist and accept that different cultures eat different things

How about coming back and explaining why you think it's racist?

Well that Guardian article is completely horrific.

Unless the Chinese government acts swiftly to shut down all those operations, educates the entire population, bans traditional medicine and finds alternative sources of wealth for rural communities there will be continued, worsening viruses killing off the global population.

I don't think the Chinese government will do anything.

@Cornettaoninja I will never be allowed to donate blood due to my stay in your country so very good poind

China eats whatever it wants and doesn't listen to the rest of the world's protests. One reason they'll never get me as a tourist. Yulin is a classic example. They just don't care.