City looks to save amphibians

SHANGHAI: Rural areas in this city once rang with the sounds of croaking frogs and toads. Now people are more likely to find the amphibians in the market than in a swamp.

According to a report by the Shanghai Wild Animal Protection Center, people in this city eat 80 million frogs and toads a year. The local appetite for the creatures is threatening the city's environment and that of nearby provinces. It has also pushed a rare species to the verge of extinction.

In random raids on markets and restaurants, the Shanghai landscaping administration bureau discovered that 102 out of 267 restaurants in 16 districts were selling dishes made of frogs, toads and snakes. Some 139 out of 259 markets were found selling wild animals, while 32 of the 33 restaurants in one town offered baked toads as snacks.