Fw: Front page story Sing Pao Newspaper, HKG, 21-12-03

[Guest guest]

Front page story Sing Pao Newspaper, HKG, 21-12-03Hi Everybody,

 

 

Sing Pao newspaper ran a story about 2 weeks ago urging their readers to try dog

meat next time they were travelling on the Mainland.....Anneleise wrote a letter

to the newspaper and we also asked Winnie to contact a journalist there to run a

counter story. The journalist came up to the office to interview us, we showed

him horrifying footage of dogs and cats and wild animals in the market and this

is the resulting story which ran on the front page of yesterday (Sunday's)

newspaper.....sadly, little about dog eating, but at least urging people not to

eat wild animals.

 

 

Happy Christmas!

Annie

 

(Article in Sing Pao, Hong Kong, 21st December 2003)

 

BEWARE OF THE TRAP OF EATING WILD ANIMALS

DISEASE ARE TRANSMITTED WHEN ANIMALS ARE TRAPPED TOGETHER IN SMALL CAGES

 

Winter is the season for wild animal eating; foodies, however, should beware of

this tasteful trap! The practice of wild animal eating has revived as the

Chinese government starts issuing permits for wild animal trading again after

SARS is under control. Animals Asia Foundation went on a trip to Jiangnan

province in Guangzhou last month in which they investigate into animal markets.

There they see and tell us how bad the hygienic conditions in these markets are

and that animals trapped in over crowded cages are usually sick and dying.

Doctors warned that these sick animals will transmit their disease to other

healthy animals that are trapped together. When they are eaten by humans, it is

possible that the disease mutates and forms a new killing disease that threatens

humans' lives.

 

The Guanhzhou wild animal market reaches its low times during SARS. As the local

government starts issuing permits for wild animal trading not long ago, their

business revives. In order to get a better idea of the hygienic condition of

these markets, Animals Asia Foundation paid a visit last month and investigates.

 

Animals are abusively trapped in one cage.

 

AAF media director Ms Annie Mather describes the animals' conditions as

" horrible " and " sick to see such a thing " . According to Ms Mather, animals, such

as cats, dogs, deers, masked civets and nutria are all trapped in over crowded

cages when they are transported into the market and wait to be slaughtered.

 

Those animals, she adds, can hardly move in the cage, some of them are moaning,

others are drooling and exhausted. They suspect there were neither food nor

water for these animals during transportation and that explains why they look so

ill.

 

Mutation of disease.

 

Ms Mather explains that some of Hong Kong peoples' habit of going to the

mainland for this " delicacy " every winter is bad for their health as they are

consuming sick animals.

 

Microbiology professor Tam Siu-Lun of the Chinese University of Hong Kong states

that diseases are easily transmitted when a large number of wild animals are

trapped together, if any of these disease is then passed on to human, the

chances of a major outbreak of a disease is vastly increased. As the disease

keep mutating, human can easily be infected, chances of HK being affected by

these diseases is also very high as we geographically close to Guangzhou.

 

Professor Tam continues to suggest that the Chinese government should revise the

wild animal protection law and strengthen the laws in animals' welfare aspect.

For example, cats and dogs should be transported in a more humane way and it is

not acceptable to stuff so many animals in one cage. Wild animals that are

wounded should also be treated.

 

Dr Hon David Chu Yu-Lin, JP said he understands that the State Council is

drafting a revision of the wildlife protection law, but it is estimated to take

about a year to complete. He would ask about the progress in this aspect as he

takes part into the National People's representative meeting this coming March.

 

Selling of banned animals can be put in jail for up to one year.

 

According to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, if any kind of

meat of human consumption is prone to threaten public health, the government can

implement import control. The government banned the import of masked civets

immediately last March once they are proved to be carrying coronavirus.

 

The ordinance also states that any frozen meat that is imported has to be

regulated by a signed permit. If the imported meat is not tested by an

authorized clinic, importer must provide the related department a proof of the

hygienic condition of this meat, or else it cannot be imported. Also, according

to the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, No person shall, except in accordance

with a special permit, hunt , willfully disturb, sells, exports or offers for

sale or export any protected wild animal, nest or egg of any protected wild

animal, can be fined for up to one hundred thousand dollars and jailed for up to

one year.

 

Caption1 Different species are always trapped in crowded cages where they have

to curl their bodies and wait to be slaughtered.(Picture by AAF)

 

Caption2 Masked civet is said to be the spreader of SARS

 

Caption3 A truck loaded with animals waiting to be slaughtered (picture by AAF)

 

--

Annie Mather

Media Director

Animals Asia Foundation

Hong Kong

 

Find out more about the historic China Bear Rescue by visiting the

Animals Asia Foundation website at:

http://www.animalsasia.org