About 30 percent of those surveyed indicate that they have been eating fewer wild animals since the corona crisis. The majority of people, more than 60 percent, did not eat wild animals at all.
A small part of the participants in the research says it actually consumes more products from wild animals.
The most commonly purchased wildlife species are birds, snakes and turtles. Bats, civets and pangolins are also mentioned.
First infections on wild market
The first infections with the corona virus took place in a large market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where these types of animals are traded. The virus probably originated because it entered humans from bats via an ‘intermediate host’ (possibly a pangolin).
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According to WWF research, there is a strong awareness that the interaction between humans and animals can lead to serious outbreaks of disease.
Nearly half (46 percent) of the participants of the research cites the transmission of diseases from animals to humans as the most likely cause of future pandemics.
Tackling trade and deforestation
The majority of those surveyed believe that preventing future pandemics starts with addressing the root causes, including high-risk wildlife trade and deforestation.
The Chinese (91 percent) and Vietnamese (84 percent) in particular see the closure of wildlife markets as the most important measures to prevent new pandemics.
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