China culls 1.6 tonnes of rats bred for their meat as it cracks down on the wild animal trade due to COVID-19

  • More than 900 bamboo rats were buried alive by officials of Hubei last week
  • Authorities took actions after the country banned the eating of wild animals
  • An expert previously said the outbreak might be linked to the wild rodents
  • Chinese bamboo rats have been a food source in the country for centuries 
  • Their meat can detoxify diners' body and make them 'prettier', it is believed 

Officials at a Chinese province have reportedly culled more than 1.6 tonnes of farm-bred bamboo rats in one go after the government banned the eating and trading of wild animals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Chinese bamboo rats, which are linked to coronavirus, have been a sought-after food source in the country for centuries and hailed for their 'nutritional value'. 

Forestry workers at Hubei Province, the former epicentre of the outbreak, buried more than 900 bamboo rats alive on Friday after seizing them from a local farmer, according to a report. 

Officials at the Xian'an District Forest Bureau of Xianning in Hubei buried more than 900 bamboo rats alive to crack down on the wild animal trade, according to a local report

Officials at the Xian'an District Forest Bureau of Xianning in Hubei buried more than 900 bamboo rats alive to crack down on the wild animal trade, according to a local report

The report said that specialist workers had dug a deep pit in the mountains far from sources of drinking water before placing the live creatures inside and scattering lime powder over them

The report said that specialist workers had dug a deep pit in the mountains far from sources of drinking water before placing the live creatures inside and scattering lime powder over them

In February, China's central government issued a temporary ban on all trade and consumption of wild animals - a practice believed responsible for the global crisis. 

The government of Hubei, where the coronavirus was first detected, passed a law in March to ban the eating of wild animals completely, including those bred or raised by people. 

The culling was carried out by the Xian'an District Forest Bureau of Xianning, a city of around 2.5million people in Hubei, reported Xianning Television and Radio Station on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter.

Chinese farmers were rearing about 25 million bamboo rats when the government launched a temporary ban on the trading and consumption of wild animals in February in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The picture shows a farmer in Guizhou holding two bamboo rats in 2012

Chinese farmers were rearing about 25 million bamboo rats when the government launched a temporary ban on the trading and consumption of wild animals in February in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The picture shows a farmer in Guizhou holding two bamboo rats in 2012

A picture on Mr Zhushu, a forum for bamboo rat breeders, lists 30 ways to cook the rats' meat. One of them (pictured), sliced boiled bamboo rat, is presented in the shape of a rodent

A picture on Mr Zhushu, a forum for bamboo rat breeders, lists 30 ways to cook the rats' meat. One of them (pictured), sliced boiled bamboo rat, is presented in the shape of a rodent

All of the bamboo rats, amounting 916 in total, were said to belong to the same breeder, who ran one of the biggest bamboo rat farms in the area.

The report said that specialist workers had dug a deep pit in the mountains far from sources of drinking water before placing the live creatures inside. 

Footage shows lime powder was scattered on the rats before they were buried to reduce the impact on the local environment.

Apart from the bamboo rats, the local forest bureau culled seven porcupines weighing a total of 140 kilograms (308 pounds), 1,605 kilograms (3,538 pounds) of snakes and four kilograms (8.8 pounds) of snake eggs.  

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the meat of bamboo rats can detoxify one's body and improve the functions of one's stomach and spleen. Others believe it can 'beautify' the diners. The picture from December, 2012, shows a bamboo rat on a farm in Guizhou Province

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the meat of bamboo rats can detoxify one's body and improve the functions of one's stomach and spleen. Others believe it can 'beautify' the diners. The picture from December, 2012, shows a bamboo rat on a farm in Guizhou Province 

Although the exact source of the virus remains unclear, Dr Zhong Nanshan, China's leading epidemiologist, claimed in January that the epidemic might be linked to the eating of bamboo rats or badgers. A farmer in China's Guizhou Province is pictured holding a bamboo rat in 2012

Although the exact source of the virus remains unclear, Dr Zhong Nanshan, China's leading epidemiologist, claimed in January that the epidemic might be linked to the eating of bamboo rats or badgers. A farmer in China's Guizhou Province is pictured holding a bamboo rat in 2012

Chinese bamboo rats, or 'zhu shu' in Mandarin, are known for their portly figure and fat cheeks.

A wild rodent species feeding on bamboo, these huge rats can weigh up to five kilograms (11 pounds) and grow to 45 centimetres (17 inches) long. 

According to traditional Chinese medicine, their meat can detoxify one's body and improve the functions of one's stomach and spleen. 

Bamboo bats can fetch up to 1,000 yuan (£113) per pair alive or 280 yuan (£31) per kilo grilled, according to Mr Zhushu, an internet forum for bamboo rat breeders.

On one page, the forum lists 30 different ways to cook bamboo rat meat, from grilling and roasting to pan-frying and simmering into a soup. 

Since the coronavirus pandemic emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December, experts have been trying to identify the source of the pathogen, and many believe it came from wild animals sold as food. 

Chinese bamboo rats, or 'zhu shu' in Mandarin, are known for their portly figure and fat cheeks

Chinese bamboo rats, or 'zhu shu' in Mandarin, are known for their portly figure and fat cheeks

Although the exact source of the virus remains unclear, Dr Zhong Nanshan, China's leading epidemiologist, claimed in January that the outbreak might be linked to the eating of bamboo rats or badgers

Other experts have named bats, snakes or pangolins as the likely source.

As of February, there were an estimated 25 million bamboo rats on various Chinese farms, mostly in southern parts of the country, such as Guangxi and Guangdong where locals welcome exotic meat.

In Guangxi, a largely agricultural province with around 50 million people, more than 100,000 people were raising roughly 18 million bamboo rats, a local official told China News Weekly.    

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