Saying no to illegal wild meat
A traveller kills a wild animal and posts its photo on social media with the caption: “How should I cook this red junglefowl?”
Social media posts about hunting and cooking wild animals are becoming popular among young travellers. People might assume that a person who hunts wild animals for consumption is poor, however, nonprofit organisation TRAFFIC and the Zoological Society London (ZSL) reported otherwise in June 2021.
The research found that 32% of the Thai urban population had consumed wild meat in the past 12 months, some of which was illegal, and a similar percentage intended to consume it in the future. Typical wild meat consumers are 18 to 30-year-old urban Thais with a high monthly income (50,000 baht or more) and are not seeking it for sustenance but enjoyment. Wild meat consumption often happens during travelling and social gatherings.
SUWITCHA CHAIYONG
