Civet cat: Fruit eater or SARS carrier?<\/p>\n
Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press, Shanghai, China<\/p>\n
The poor civet cat is an animal with an image problem.<\/p>\n
Nine months ago, they were banished from markets as suspected
\nspreaders of the SARS virus, only to be back on the menu after
\nthe outbreak subsided.<\/p>\n
Now they and other wild animals sold as food are again being
\ntargeted for slaughter, as China seeks to block a re-emergence of
\nSARS. Some 10,000 have been ordered drowned, electrocuted and
\nincinerated by Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"People eat wild game for its supposed health-giving
\nproperties, but the civet had come to be known as a damned
\ncreature,\" said Hu Xueming, deputy general secretary of the
\nGuangzhou Food and Beverage Association.<\/p>\n
The civets' unenviable fate seems sadly at odds with its
\norigins as a shy, fruit-eating tree dweller that just happens to
\nbe prized as a delicacy in southern China.<\/p>\n
Civets are mongoose-like animals found throughout Africa and
\nAsia and only distantly related to the common house cat. Some
\nspecies are ground dwelling and omnivorous, although the Chinese
\nspecies tied to the SARS virus, the masked palm civet, lives in
\ntrees and eat oranges, papayas and mangos.<\/p>\n
Members of the Viverridae family, civets have a pointy,
\nstriped nose like a weasel, with a long, cat-like body and tail.
\nMost are between 2-5 kilograms, but can weigh up to 11 kilograms.<\/p>\n
Civets are usually only served in specialty wildlife
\nrestaurants called yewei, or \"wild taste\" in Chinese. Often
\nlocated in hilly rural areas on the edge of Guangzhou and other
\nsouthern cities, the restaurants keep live animals in cages,
\nawaiting the customer's selection, then slaughter them on the
\nspot.<\/p>\n
Other than its distinctive flavor, civet meat is also credited
\nwith having medicinal qualities. Consumers say civet flesh can
\nimprove male virility, cure skin diseases, and improve other
\nailments.<\/p>\n
There are various forms of preparation, but the most popular
\nis to fry the meat with soy sauce adding bird's nest for flavor
\nand nutritional value, Hu said.<\/p>\n
\"You have to eat it while it's hot, because if it gets cold
\nthe oil will congeal and you'll have a gamey smell,\" said Hu.<\/p>\n
Other animals also suspected of carrying the SARS virus and
\nordered slaughtered:
\n* Raccoon dogs, a primitive canine with racoon-like facial
\nmarkings.
\n* Ferret badgers, small, omnivorous nocturnal badgers.
\n* Hog badgers, larger badgers with protruding claws.
\n* Eurasian badgers, large badgers resembling small bears with a
\nprominent white stripe down their nose. Range from Ireland to
\nJapan.<\/p>",
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