Bats, rats and snakes are still being sold at an Indonesian market known for its wildlife offerings, despite a government request to take them off the menu over fears of a link to the deadly coronavirus.
Vendors at
the Tomohon Extreme Meat market on Sulawesi island say business is booming and
curious tourists keep arriving to check out exotic fare that enrages animal
rights activists.
But
scientists are debating how the new virus, which has killed more than 1,100
people in China and spread to dozens of countries around the world, was
transmitted to humans.
A wildlife
market in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, is thought to be ground zero and
there is suspicion it could have originated in bats.
The
possible link wasn't on many radar screens at the Indonesian market, however.
Vendors at
the Tomohon Extreme Meat market on Sulawesi island say
business is booming (AFP
Photo/Ronny Adolof Buol)
|
Its grubby
stalls feature a dizzying array of animals including giant snakes, rats impaled
on sticks and charred dogs with their hair seared off by blowtorches -- a gory
scene described by some critics as "like walking through hell".
Bat seller
Stenly Timbuleng says he's still moving his fare for as much as 60,000 rupiah
($4.40) a kilogram to buyers in the area, where bats are a speciality in local
cuisine.
"I'm
selling between 40 and 60 kilograms every day," the 45-year-old told AFP.
"The
virus hasn't affected sales. My customers still keep coming."
Restaurateur
Lince Rengkuan -- who serves bats including their heads and wings stewed in
coconut milk and spices -- says the secret is preparation.
"If
you don't cook the bat well then of course it can be dangerous," she said.
Stalls at the
Tomohon Extreme Meat market on Sulawesi island feature
a dizzying array of
animals (AFP Photo/Ronny Adolof Buol)
|
"We
cook it thoroughly and so far the number of customers hasn't gone down at
all."
This
despite a request from the local government and the health agency to take bats
and other wildlife out of circulation -- a call that has been all but ignored.
"We're
also urging people not to consume meat from animals suspected to be carriers of
a fatal disease," said Ruddy Lengkong, head of the area's government trade
and industry agency.
Indonesia
has not yet reported a confirmed case of the virus.
In the
capital Jakarta, vendors selling skinned snakes and cobra blood on a recent
Saturday night didn't have any trouble finding takers.
"It's
good for you, sir," said one vendor of his slithering fare.
"Cures
and prevents all diseases."
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