Guest guest Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 ***************************Advertisement*************************** eCentral - Your Entertainment Guide http://www.star-ecentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my) URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/1/10/asia/7076890 & sec=asia ________________________ Saturday January 10, 2004 Hefty fines for those hiding civet cats GUANGZHOU: Authorities in SARS-wary southern China threatened fines of up to US$12,000 (RM45,600) yesterday for merchants who try to hide civet cats, a day ahead of the deadline to slaughter thousands of the animals because of fears they carry the disease. Health workers have been drowning, electrocuting and incinerating civets by the thousands. The order to kill civets set a Saturday deadline and later was expanded to include badgers, racoon dogs and some other wildlife eaten in Guangzhou. After today, “any business person caught hiding civets will be fined between 10,000 and 100,000 yuan (RM4,600 to RM46,000),” said the newspaper Guangzhou Daily. It said authorities would carry out a “carpet-style investigation” to root out hidden animals. Though Guangzhou is one of China's most prosperous areas, such fines are severe in a society where annual urban incomes average just US$700 (RM2,660) per person. Merchants also have an incentive to hide civets. The animals can fetch 90 yuan (RM41) per kilo. The 20-year-old waitress who was declared on Thursday China's second suspected SARS case was isolated in the Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital and her status was unchanged, said a spokesman for the provincial health bureau. He refused to give his name. The announcement of her case came just as China's first SARS case, the television producer, left the same Guangzhou hospital after being pronounced recovered. Hospital president Tang Xiaoping said he could not confirm reports the waitress worked at a restaurant that served wild game. Scientists say the virus might have begun in wild animals and then jumped to humans. “Whether she handled animals, I'm not clear,” Tang said at a news conference on Thursday. In Hong Kong, the third of three Hong Kong television station workers who came down with fever after returning from southern China has tested negative for SARS, a government spokesman said yesterday. The other two men tested negative for SARS on Thursday. & #8211; Agencies <p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2003 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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