Species Threatened

A taste for exotic meat has driven many species to the brink of extinction in Vietnam. Demand for wild meat used to be limited to mountain communities, but it has spread to rich urban areas. It is estimated that 3,400 tons of wild meat is being consumed each year, with about 18 percent of it being consumed illegally. Experts spoke out about the problem at a conference dealing with the protection of wildlife, and concluded that threatened species include the rhinoceros, the white-handed gibbon, the civet, and the tapir. Perhaps pubic awareness will curb this nasty habit—and there are plenty of meat- and dairy-substitutes created each year to satisfy one’s appetite for something new.