Local wildlife conservation authorities believe restaurants are exploiting loopholes in wildlife protection rules to supply customers with meals made from wild animals.

Cobras and toads are still available at some local restaurants because they have not been officially included on the city's wildlife conservation list.

However, the animals are transported into Shanghai from Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces, where they are listed as endangered, according to Youth Daily.

"Customers name them, and we have them," said a staff member at Laitianhua Restaurant on Huanghe Road yesterday.

Employees at Daxianggang Restaurant, which includes wild snake dishes on its menu, said the animals are imported from Jiangxi Province because there are few available in Shanghai.

Pangolins and palm civets are also popular cuisine at some restaurants.

"Since this wildlife does not fall under the city's preservation category, it's hard for us to impose any penalties on businesses cooking and selling them," said Du Dechang, director of the Shanghai Wildlife Conservation Station. The station plans to educate restaurants not to serve endangered wildlife.

Du said the station will tighten supervision of trafficking wild animals into the city.

(China Daily September 17, 2004)