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SARS BITES DEEP INTO HONG KONG SNAKE RESTAURANTS REUTERS,

SARS Bites Deep Into Hong Kong Snake Restaurants 
Reuters, 1/21/04 
HONG KONG - Opposite a writhing mass of snakes in a glass tank, Kam Oi-ho
stirred a steaming pot of snake soup and filled a bowl for his first
customer of the day. 
Chinese people think eating snakes is good for you, especially in winter
when the meat is believed to keep you warm. But not this year. 
"Our business has plunged 70 to 80 percent since the SARS outbreak last
year," Kam said, as he looked around his near empty stall, which also
sports bottles of wine containing snakes and their innards. 
"The recent scare in Guangzhou has slashed business by another 40 percent
in the past few weeks," he said. 
China has confirmed three new cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in
recent weeks in the southern province of Guangdong, where the disease first
emerged in late 2002 before spreading to more than 30 countries. 
The virus eventually infected about 8,000 people and killed nearly 800 of
them, including 299 in Hong Kong. 
Snake lovers used to have their fill in small Hong Kong stalls like Kam's,
where snakes are sometimes killed and skinned next to your table. There
were even special snake banquets, where every part was used and cooked in
different ways. 
The mild-tasting meat is firmer than fish but often more tender than
chicken. The organs of the animals, most of which are caught in the wild in
Southeast Asia, are touted as having all sorts of benefits. 
But experts believe the SARS virus jumped from animals to humans. Prime
suspect is the civet cat, also served up as a delicacy, and even though
snakes have never figured on the list of possible SARS sources, diners are
taking no chances. 
"Since the SARS outbreak last year, I feel wild animals are disgusting. I
haven't had any snake soup since," said Betty Chan, a company executive. 
On the walls of Kam's shop, one of Hong Kong's oldest and best-known, aging
newspaper clippings are proof that business was brisk in the past. 
"In the peak winter season, we used to sell 300 to 500 bowls of snake soup
a day. Now we sell maybe only about 100 bowls," said Kam, whose "Snake King
Yuen" stall also supplies snake meat to large restaurants. 
"Out of every 100 restaurants that used to serve snake soup or dishes, only
10 are still doing so," he said, as he drew a wriggling serpent from a
container and headed to the slaughter room. 
"We keep only 50 snakes in this stall, compared with more than 1,000 in the
past," Kam said, as he slit a snake lengthwise with a knife, removing its
skin and plucking out the organs. 
"There are about 100 snake stalls in Hong Kong. I think about half of them
will have to fold soon," he said. 
Yip Kwok-leung, who runs the Snake King Leung eatery, agreed. 
"This is the worst time in my 20-odd years in this trade. Our customers
have fallen by half since the last SARS outbreak and I think the trade will
get more difficult in the future." 
But snake meat still has some fans. 
"There are so many animals that are said to be bad to eat. Can we possibly
avoid all of them?" said Peter Leung as he waited for his order. 
"I live far away but I had to come here for snake soup because many others
have shut down," he said.