Humanity is closely linked to the natural world; we depend on the natural world for our livelihood, protection shelter, and nourishment. At times, these lines become blurred. Covid-19 has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the span of just a few months. Millions more will become seriously ill and many of them will lose their livelihoods. As the global economy is abruptly slowed down and stock markets tumble, large corporations all over the world reduce their workforce. Smaller organizations use up any reserves they have, but many a business will be forced to give up. When the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus we now call Covid-19 is over, when reliable treatments and an affordable vaccine are available to all, and the global economy and mobility resume steps towards normality, the world will analyze the immense damages and losses incurred beyond the loss of life and livelihood.
At this point in time, we, all of us, the rest of the world, must sit down with China and its CPC leadership, and unconditionally demand the design, implementation and consequent enforcement of a joint action plan to fundamentally change the way China is dealing with the world’s wildlife. On Chairman Xi Jinping’s watch, right now there are people who treat wildlife and, in many cases, domestic animals the way animals were treated by homo sapiens before the Neolithic Revolution. Covid-19 shows us with all clarity that we cannot allow for parts of civilization to remain in the Stone Age while enjoying modern-day economic comforts and freedom of movement. If we do, the next pandemic will soon be in the making!
As part of this action plan, China, along with the rest of the world, must demand its implementation and enforce strict application across south-east Asia. In Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, and in any other areas that still operate wildlife wet markets. In parallel, global society must resolve this problem on the Arabian Peninsula, in Africa, and in Central and South America, where wet markets and the illegal consumption of wildlife and bushmeat have been the cause of epidemics and pandemics.
What are zoonotic diseases?
Zoonotic diseases are caused by a virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite that is passed from an animal to a human being. Infections are mainly triggered by close contact with an infected animal, eating contaminated meat, or through bites of insects like mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and flees that carry the pathogen.
Animals have always been reservoirs of diseases that can affect humans. About 60% of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals and more than two-thirds of those stem from wildlife. Where animal welfare is respected, and good standards of health and hygiene are upheld, zoonotic diseases are relatively rare. The problems start when wild animals are poached or illegally captured to be sold, dead or alive, and generally when wild or domestic animals are bred, transported, and kept under inhumane conditions. This is where animal diseases are more likely to transfer to humans.
A Sykes’ monkey in the Aberdares National Park of Kenya. Primates host a number of diseases that can jump to humans and vice-versa (PC-Malini Pittet).
Where exactly does Covid-19 come from?
According to the World Health Organisation WHO, evidence suggests that the virus SARS-Cov-2 that causes Covid-19 has a zoonotic source. This means the disease was transmitted by a domestic, wild, or domesticated wild animal. What is known is that some coronavirus strains affect bats and pangolins. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated that the coronavirus may have moved between bats and pangolins before becoming a strain that could affect humans. The jump to humans may have involved a third species. Studies in the same lab have shown that the coronavirus affecting pangolins are too different to have evolved into SARS-Cov-2. As we struggle to find the exact species that allowed the virus to jump to humans, one thing is certain: the close interaction of animals and people in wet markets escalates the risk of zoonotic diseases making the jump to humans.
What makes wet markets problematic?
Wet markets sell perishable items some of which are processed onsite. Fresh fruit and vegetables can be found in these markets, but the problems arise from the inhumane conditions in which live animals are kept and the unhygienic conditions in which dead animals are sold. Live mammals and birds put on display in small cages. Freshwater, marine species, and reptiles are kept in small aquariums or buckets. Dead animals cut up and displayed hanging or placed on tables are a common sight in wet markets. Domestic and wild animals on offer for human consumption include dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks, chickens, ferrets, bats, monkeys, civets, foxes, fish, seafood, and snakes, but also endangered wildlife like sharks, turtles, pangolins, owls, and many wild cat species. Many endangered species are illegally captured and trafficked from other parts of the world to end up in an exotic dish.
The bushmeat trade in South America is thriving; caiman meat and ocelot skins are some of the products that can be found in markets near forested areas ( PC- Patrick Meier).
China is not the only place with wet markets. These types of markets exist all around the world; Malini personally visited one in Peru where meat from wild species and live animals, most of them illegally hunted were on offer. There were Howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys (meat and live animals), caiman and turtle meat, ocelot skins, jaguar skins, puma skins, and many more.
However, China along with its southern neighbors are the biggest consumers of wildlife for food and the largely baseless traditional medicine. Asia has become a major threat to global wildlife populations. Poaching, trafficking, and illegal sales of protected wildlife, animal parts, and plants now run billions of US Dollars into the pockets of criminal organizations every year. As the Chinese government still allows farming of endangered species such as pangolins and tigers, animals poached elsewhere get easily mixed in with farmed wildlife.
There have been articles of China shutting down their wet markets following the Covid-19 outbreak. Recent videos from amateurs and journalists show, however, that many of these markets are reopening and the food and traditional medicine business is booming as usual.
Are there other recent examples of animal diseases killing humans?
Yes, there are several other recent cases. To list but a few:
It is important to remember that some of the most severe cases date a bit further back now: the HIV pandemic and outbreaks of bubonic plague, Hendra, West Nile, Zika, Lyme, to name but a few.
The world must stand together and resolve this problem now!
Very many people are actively engaged in wildlife and nature conservation, as well as general animal welfare. Vast numbers are interested and may even support conservation and animal welfare in one form or another. All these people share the view that irrespective of how poor or rich individual nations and their peoples are, and irrespective of cultural differences around the world: the life of an animal is valuable and must be treated with respect. Anyone thinking that no value needs to be attributed to the world’s wildlife, a healthy natural environment, or even just a stray dog or a farm chicken is now taught once and for all to be wrong. Because here is the complete, plain truth:
If we don’t want to pay the price to protect our wildlife and care for our domestic animals, we will pay the price by having to deal with pandemics such as the current one. The bat and pangolin sold on a gruesome market in the backwaters of some Asian city will continue to turn our lives upside down until we acknowledge and act on this fact.
China is not alone on the planet. No nation is.
Covid-19 brings into sharp contrast a fact that some people in influential positions seem to forget. At present seemingly more so than at other times. No matter who you are and how powerful you think you are at the moment, you are not alone on this planet. Whether you allow your forests to burn down, hide behind business profits while destroying the fragile composition of our atmosphere and oceans, deplete marine resources beyond measure, or stir armed conflicts halfway around the globe from where you live, the consequences of your actions will ultimately be borne by all of us.
Gorillas and pangolins populations are greatly threatened by the wildlife trade (PC- Ben Cranke).
Authors
Malini Pittet began her career as a wildlife biologist, specializing in large felids conservation (leopards, jaguars, ocelots) working in the Amazon, Yemen, India, etc. Although she loved it, she was increasingly frustrated that important information was being buried in scientific papers without concrete action and change on the ground. She was also looking for ways to spread awareness about conservation; the success stories as well as the plights of wildlife worldwide. She decided to change her career and focus on wildlife photojournalism and travel consultation in an attempt to bridge this gap. Photojournalism gives her the opportunity to work with projects that are making a difference for endangered species. Travel consultation has given her the opportunity to bring people to places they would otherwise never choose to travel to.
Patrick Meier grew up in Switzerland where his first passions were traveling and windsurfing. At some point, this took him to explore the shores and waves of Southern Africa. He soon discovered the African wilderness beyond marine wildlife and took up photography during this time. His appreciation for wildlife, wilderness, and photography has since taken him to wild places in Europe, Asia, South America, and across Africa. His photos and stories of the wild can be found on his personal website https://www.mywilderness.net/ and on Instagram ‘Patrick.O.Meier’.
Photographs by Malini Pittet, Patrick Meier, and Ben Cranke
Ben Cranke is a Namibian-born South African, who lives in London, UK. His passion for photography began as a young boy when his father gave him a second-hand camera. His Veterinary Science degree strengthened his affiliation with the animal world and his desire to photograph them in their natural environment. Ben’s penchant for the outdoors and his insatiable wanderlust has, amongst others, seen him climb mountains, inaugurate the Red Ape Trail in Borneo, sail across the Drake Passage and winter-ski across Norway’s snowy countryside. Ben now combines both passions by leading specialist photographic tours to incredible destinations. His photos can be found on https://500px.com/bencranke and on Instagram ‘Ben.Cranke’.
Editor
Roopsha Sengupta is the Editor-in-Chief at ClubSciWri. She did her Ph.D. at the Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, and postdoctoral research at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, UK, specializing in the field of Epigenetics. During her research, she was involved in many exciting discoveries and had the privilege of working and collaborating with a number of inspiring scientists. As an editor for ClubSciWri, she loves working on a wide range of topics and presenting articles coherently, while nudging authors to give their best.
This blog was originally posted on Malini’s own website.
