It has been two years since Guangdong Province banned the sale of wild animals for cooking after the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003.

But some Guangdong residents have yet to refrain from eating wild animals, though most people frown upon the idea.

Wang Ligang, a Guangzhou local, said he loved to eat wild animals before the ban. "It tasted good and was expensive, something the diner was proud of," Wang said.

He said treating his business partners to such delicacies was the best way to make them feel honoured and respected.

Since civet cats were determined to be the main carriers of SARS virus, the Guangdong provincial government banned the sale of the animal and other wild animals, such as pangolins and owls, in 2003. In August of that year, the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress worked out a proposal that urged residents to give up eating wild animals.

After the ban was imposed, only a few species of wild creatures were available in the market, such as wild chickens and wild pigeons.

Xinyuan Market, which is located in suburban Guangzhou, with an annual trading volume of 800 million yuan (US$99 million), at that time, was the largest wild animal market in Asia before the outbreak of SARS.

"The current situation is totally different from the past," said Chen Zhihe, a trader in the market.

More than 100 stalls sold wild animals in the past, but now Chen is one of the one dozen or so traders who still stick to the trade.

"Only wild ducks, pigeons, chickens and cats are allowed to be sold," Chen said.

Because fewer and fewer people eat wild animals, Chen's business has gone downhill. He said he would leave the market once his stock had sold out.

Before the end of the year, Xinyuan Market will be changed into an ordinary market that sells meat and vegetables. The source of wild animals will certainly dry up further, Chen said.

Restaurants and residents are having trouble finding wild animals for their dinner tables. In Guangzhou, most wild animal restaurants have taken the banned animals off the menu.

China Daily visited 10 restaurants that had once served up wild animals and they said that they now consider continuing the business as too risky.

Source: China Daily