Wuhan bans eating wild animals after coronavirus outbreak

The cultural significance placed on consuming certain species and their parts for Traditional Chinese Medicine remains strong in some regions, though science has not found any medicinal benefit. In winter, amid Lunar New Year celebrations and feasts, demand for exotic tastes peaks and wildlife stalls grow. But surveys have found appetites for game meat are waning among younger generations. Some experts have urged caution about the myth of the Asian superconsumer, noting the market can vary greatly from one city to another. Bell notes that unlike Africa, where wild animals are hunted in lieu of other available livestock, in China wild meat is now typically more expensive to buy and so not driven by poverty. Other products such as tiger bone and rhino horn are increasingly sold as status symbols or cures for everything from cancer to hangovers, despite awareness campaigns featuring celebrities and business leaders to combat the practice.