More than 1,300 rare animals were rescued from restaurant kitchens in Cambodia this year
More than 1,300 rare animals were rescued this year from restaurant kitchens in Cambodia, in raids by organizations for the protection of wildlife. The Cambodian authorities have now decided to intensify the fight to protect wild animals, and today ordered restaurants in the country's capital to stop serving rare or endangered animals. Serving rare animals is a common practice in restaurants in the capital Phnom Penh, and on their menus you can find animals such as tigers, bears, anteaters, porcupines and turtles.
The fight against eating wild animals is particularly difficult in Cambodia, in view of the widespread belief that eating their internal organs is a virtue for curing diseases and maintaining sexual power. In a meeting held this morning between the governor of Phnom Penh, Sang Tong, and the owners of more than a hundred restaurants, Tong asked the restaurateurs to sign an agreement with the city government, according to which they would remove the rare animal dishes from their menus.
"We have been educating you to protect wild animals for years, but there are no results," he told the restaurant owners at a special gathering. "Now you must make a written commitment, and stop doing so immediately. The stubborn ones," he said, "will be brought to court and risk the closing of their restaurants."
After the meeting, Pat Leng, head of the wildlife protection office, concluded that Cambodians will now have to rely on sports to stay healthy, and abandon eating wild animals.
