China has acted and produced swift legislation banning a 74 billion dollar wild animal farming industry as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. On February 24, 2020 China officially banned the selling, buying and eating of wild animals. Wild animals can no longer be transported and sold in markets, restaurants and online meat marketplaces across the country. This government move comes in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has now spread to other continents including Europe and North America. The zoonotic virus is now confirmed to have killed approximately 2600 people worldwide. Close to 80,000 people have been affected by the virus.
This is a great day for animal activists worldwide that have tirelessly campaigned and spoken out against wild animal consumption and the killing of endangered animals who have been consumed as delicacies in certain cultures. However, it is unfortunate that it had to take a disease being spread from animals to humans for China's wild meat market to be halted. Currently, wild and endangered meat markets aren’t exclusive to China and are also present in other countries such as Indonesia and Australia. People have not been able to properly grasp the dangers of meat consumption and the health conditions that can arise from wild animal consumption.
It should not have had to take the passing of formal government legislation for people to understand that wild animals such as bats, snakes, foxes and pangolins should not be consumed. Why is it that our Chinese brothers and sisters wish to eat grave meats such as dog, cow tongues and dog liver---even holding annual dog meat festivals to celebrate summer solstice?
Photo: Chinese workers slaughtering and preparing dog meat for festival
Approximately, ten million dogs are slaughtered in China for meat every year. There are much more conscious ways to celebrate events such as summer solstice and Lunar New Year than through the consumption of wild animals.
Lastly, why are the food cultures in some of these Asian countries so grossly inhumane and inconsiderate of animals? Why would a person wish to consume things that have been killed using extremely dangerous and inhumane methods? Why would one want to consume animals that are hosts to many drug resistant viruses?
Photo: Asian Woman Consumes Bat Soup
These questions beg for answers but until then we are applauding Chinese government officials and leaders for becoming wise and enacting legislature to halt their wild farm and animal meat markets once and for all.
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