Don't order exotic animal dishes

Along with animal products, exotic animal dishes promotes the endangerment of species. But not only that, it also increases the chances of vector transmission (disease transfer from an animal) due to living conditions of the animals sold in the market. A recent case was the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) that was spread across the globe in 2003 because it was highly contagious as well as life-threatening. SARS was traced down to the civet cat, which was considered a 'delicacy' in southern China and was commonly sold for its meat in the markets of the Guangdong Province of China. Due to the unhygeinic and meager living conditions they were forced to live in before being killed, their immune systems grew weak and they formed a severe acute respiratory disease which then passed onto humans.

The best possible way is to completely avoid the consumption of animals as it isn't only exotic animals that can develop a interspecies disease, eg. Avian Flu.

References:

1. "Think Twice Before Buying Souvenirs." IFAW. 2005. International Fund for Animal Welfare. 9 May 2006 <http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=12878>.

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