Eating Wild Animals: Where is the Karma?

There are many pictures of people showing off wild bird catching like this on the internet.

Yes this is a science story.

The first is related to environmental and health issues.

My friends in Australia say that these days they eat less beef, but mainly kangaroo meat!

So do they raise kangaroos for meat in Australia? No, they are wild, they just grow too much so they have to be shot for meat.

Not to mention, using kangaroo meat instead of beef is also a way to contribute to protecting the environment, when the cattle farming industry emits too much _CO2 .

But I remember that Australia previously warned people to be very careful when eating kangaroo meat when hunting, because some people were infected with an extremely dangerous strange virus?

My friend said yes, but kangaroo meat sold in supermarkets is strictly inspected.

Talk in Australia to come back to Vietnam

From birds to wild animals, when trapped, they all go straight to the dining table, there is no testing. Because it is a violation of the law, who would dare to bring a bird, deer, weasel... that they have hunted to a health or veterinary agency to check if it is safe for me to eat!?

No one knows what bacteria and viruses are in birds and wild animals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number one suspect was a place that sells wild animals in Wuhan, China (considered to be from bats).

In short, only mentally retarded people would eat wild birds and animals without any control.

And the story of eating wild birds and animals is also a cultural issue.

When I was a child, during the years of severe food shortages during the subsidy period, like many others, I also went bird trapping, animal hunting, and cutting down trees for firewood.

In those days, taking the night train, I could see the mountain ranges in the Central region were always red with forest fires.

In those days, catching a bird or a squirrel meant great joy and immediately thinking of… a delicious meal.

In 1979, when I came to Ho Chi Minh City, I still remember the wild animal market on Pham Viet Chanh Street (District 1) was full of all kinds of things.

Pangolins rolled up like balls filled iron cages, just like the ones sold in the sports equipment area on Huyen Tran Cong Chua street now!

But now, even in dreams, we can no longer see that scene. First, the law is stricter. Second, the economy is better.

When will these scenes end?

Is eating wildlife because of poverty?

However, a few years ago I still believed that a better economy would end the hunting and eating of wild birds and animals.

Because, I have met very poor people who hunt, for them catching a lapwing is worth 1 million dong; catching a cobra is the same. When there are no more poor people, there will be no more hunting.

But no, that view collapsed when I went to Kampot province, Cambodia to photograph red-crowned cranes. People there are very poor, but there is no hunting of wild birds and animals.

Later, wild bird experts such as Professor Tran Triet, Nguyen Hoai Bao... told me that this story is more about culture.

We are unlucky because in history we have been influenced too much by China and France. The Chinese people have a culture of eating exotic foods, while the Western aristocrats love hunting.

Countries influenced by British and Indian culture do not have this ugly culture.

If we really want to eliminate this ugly culture, the only effective measure is severe punishment by law.

I can't imagine how restaurant owners can innocently show off their banquets online with bird blood pudding, steamed poultry... and still get away with it?

Or are there many social media accounts selling wild birds and no one has ever been summoned and fined 7.5 million!?

As for "karma", I think it is not spiritual. We destroy nature too much and now we are "rewarded" by karma!

The increasingly severe droughts and high tides are all the result of the destruction of nature and indiscriminate hunting, leading to ecological imbalance. That’s all!

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/an-thit-dong-vat-hoang-da-nghiep-qua-o-dau-20240413144911921.htm