(CN) China's Wild Animal Markets - AAF Press Release

[Dr John Wedderburn]

PRESS RELEASE (for immediate release)

URGENT CALLS TO CLOSE DOWN CHINA'S WILD ANIMAL MARKETS
ESCALATE..

Despite recent efforts by the Chinese Government in
banning the sale of wild animals in markets throughout
the country as a temporary measure against SARS, the
Animals Asia Foundation has found clear evidence of
traders ignoring these regulations.

On Monday, 12th May 2003, Animals Asia investigators
visited the notorious Hua Nam Wild Animal Market in
Guangzhou in southern China and witnessed an "animal
stew" of wild, endangered and domestic species, crushed
together and openly for sale.

As the team walked through the market, believed by some
to be at the centre of the SARS outbreak, they filmed
cages and crate loads of masked palm civets, ferret
badgers, barking deer, wild boars, hedgehogs, foxes,
squirrels, bamboo rats, various species of snakes and
endangered leopard cats, together with dogs, cats,
rabbits and gerbils.

As some of the traders attempted to hide their stash of
wild animals, others insisted that theirs were captive
bred - seemingly ignoring the fact that many animals
showed bloody stumps, where their limbs had been
severed in leg-hold traps in the wild.

As the mainland is coping with the effects of SARS,
panic also abounds as pet dogs and cats are abandoned
and killed throughout the country as a result of
unproved connections to the SARS virus to animal
species and general misinformation.  Whilst the origin
of the disease may be animal related, it is important
to note that with regard to transmission, a World
Health Organisation expert has been quoted as saying
that human-animal or animal to human transmission is
highly unlikely.   "Our expert, James Maguire said
clearly that dogs and cats are not involved" said World
Health Organisation (WHO) spokeswoman Mangai
Balasegaram.  Both Animals Asia and local groups are
imploring local authorities and the general public not
to overreact and target and kill pets.

Animals Asia Veterinary Director, Dr. Gail Cochrane
agrees, stating that to her knowledge no dog or cat has
developed SARS.  But, she also notes that the wild
animal markets in China, where all species are held
together in unnaturally close concentration under
tremendous stress, are a potential breeding ground for
new and deadly strains of disease.  "Even if the SARS
virus did not evolve from animals in the markets, the
conditions present an ideal environment in which other
unknown or new viruses may incubate and emerge.  The
only way to minimise the threat of new viruses being
transmitted is to close the markets down."

Jill Robinson MBE, Founder & CEO of Animals Asia,
believed that whilst it was a positive first step by
the Government in temporarily banning the sale and
consumption of wild animals, the traders who are
flouting these regulations prove that immediate and
strict enforcement is required.   "We appeal to the
Central Government to close these miserable markets
once and for all, in order to protect the global
community from possible future disease and end a trade
which has seen decades of suffering for wild and
domestic animals in China" she said.

Echoing this plea, local Hong Kong Legislators and
political advisors have also joined Animals Asia in the
call for ending the trade and consumption in wild
animals: Hong Kong Legislator Dr. David Chu Yu-lin JP,
Member of China's National People's Congress and Mr.
M.K. Tan, Member of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference, stated that they support the
closure of all wild animal markets in China - and also
support ending the trade and consumption of wild and
endangered species.  Mr. Chu and Mr. Tan went further
and called for the end of the consumption of domestic
animals such as cats and dogs, in the belief that their
help and companionship to humanity should now be
recognised in China.

In China today, Mr. Chen Run Shen, the Secretary
General of the China Wildlife Conservation Association
(CWCA) Government Department in Beijing, also confirmed
that he supported banning the hunting, trade and
consumption of wild animals, adding that "the wild
animal trade has direct conflict with the progression
of a civilised society, and has also brought direct
harm and damage to the animals themselves".

Ends....

For further information (and stills and footage Hua Nan
Wild Animal Market on 12th May 2003), please contact:

Jill Robinson MBE - Founder & CEO, Animals Asia
Foundation, HKG - (852) 27193340 or Mobile (852)
90958405 or jrobinson at animalsasia.org

For stills & footage please contact Annie Mather -
Media Director, Animals Asia Foundation, HKG - (852)
2521 0982 or amather at animalsasia.org

Website: www.animalsasia.org

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