Bio-diversity

Snacks are extremely valuable wildlife resource, especially it can balance the amount of rats in the nature.However,people are lacking of awareness of protecting them partly because of its scaring looking. In the southeastern coast of China, snack restaurants are very popular, and eating of snacks has caused the sharp decrease of its amount. It`s estimated that people in China eat more than 15000 tons of snacks in a year, certain cities in the south in particular, can consume 10 to 20 tons of snack in a day. In Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, the consumption of snack is over 10 tons everyday. The price of snakes varies from tens yuan to hundreds yuan per kilo. The project will investigate the snake consumption chain, raise public awareness and change people`s consumption and restaurants behavior to protect the wild snakes in Changsha. Main Problems: 1.Public lack of awareness on snakes conservation 2. The snake restaurants in Changsha are widespread and uncurbed. 3. It is difficult to investigate amd obtain evidence of hunting and selling of wild snakes 4. Poor supervision of law enforcement department. 5. Large demand of snake with a low production of artificial breeding. Solutions/activities: 1. Raise public awareness on wild snakes conservation through website, micro-blog, door-to-door outreaches. 2. Reward green certification to restaurants that don`t sell wild snakes and other wild animals and promote`green eating` card to consumers to reduce eating wild snakes 3. Organize volunteers to investigate restaurants that are selling snakes and obtain information on snakes consumption in Changsha 4. Report to Forestry Police and media to stop illegal buying and selling wild snakes. 5. Free captive wild snakes and animals. 6. Work with snake experts to promote artificial snake breeding. Anticipated results/outcomes: 1. One million people`s awareness on wild snakes conservation improved 2. 20 restaurants awarded`green restaurants` that don`t sell wild snakes and animals. 3. About 8000 wild snakes and other animals rescued and freed. 4. Support 3-4 households to develop artificial snake breeding.

China