Xinhua News Agency, China, 4/20/04: Cook named green chef for refusing to cook rare wildlife, to be featured in new Animals Asia Foundation film

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Xinhua News Agency, China 2004-04-20 18:49:37

 

Cook named " green chef " for refusing to cook rare wildlife for years

 

SHENYANG, April 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A young chef in Huludao city,

northeast China's Liaoning province, was conferred an honorary title

of " green chef " Tuesday by China Wildlife Conservation Association for

his persistence in rejecting cooking wildlife.

 

During the past eight years, Zhang Xingguo, 32, who has worked as a

chef for 13 years, was fired 12 times by owners of restaurants and

hotels, for refusing to cook rare wildlife such as hedgehogs and

pangolins.

 

In 2003, he initiated his own plan to visit nearly all local

restaurants and petition chefs face-to-face to reject cooking wildlife.

 

Li Yuming, deputy secretary-general of the association said that Zhang

has set a good example for other chefs to follow to do their part in

wildlife protection, as well as the public to increase awareness in

this regard.

 

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Mr. Zhang will be featured in the new Animals Asia Foundation film

" Friends... or Food. " Visit the Animals Asia Foundation website at:

http://www.animalsasia.org

 

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