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Africa, a continent full of life and challenges, is amazed by the way its indigenous people live. Although we often hear that people in some parts of Africa collect primates as a source of protein, this view is actually too narrow. Recent reports in the British media have revealed the real situation in Africa's wildlife market, which is eye-opening.
The Epe fresh market in Nigeria, where the "mountain treasures" really challenge people's limits. A charity volunteer documented a visit to the market and, shockingly, the slaughter of wild animals.
In the market, wild animals such as pangolins, monkeys, and turtles are kept in cages, and some appear to be dying. The atmosphere in the market is dirty and suffocating, and workers are enthusiastic about slaughtering all kinds of animals.
Pangolins are slaughtered in a particularly brutal way, where they are thrown directly into boiling water and then the scales are stripped off because they fetch high prices in the market. However, in a cage, a pangolin was giving birth to baby pangolins, which crawled around on the mother's body, a scene that the volunteer could not bear, so he bought the mother and son pangolins.
The situation of the monkeys was even bloodier, the volunteers saw a large pot of monkey heads rolling in boiling water, it turned out that the customer only needed the monkey's skull, not the body, so the monkey was skinned and debrained, which made the volunteers feel sick.
There are also burned dogs on the market with burnt skin, which is left after the hair is burned off. In addition, there are snakes, crocodiles, Duke dogs, turtles, manatees, and a variety of rare birds, basically covering various species in the African wildlife world.
Worryingly, however, the personnel handling these wild animals were not wearing any protective gear, PE gloves, or any disinfection measures, or even masks. This is worrisome, because it is diseases originating in Africa that pose a huge global threat.
HIV, Ebola, yellow fever, and the deadly "X disease" all have doubts about African origin. HIV, which is particularly frightening, has its origins traced back to chimpanzees in Africa, a virus that has a long incubation period, is transmitted through body fluids, and once infected, is costly to treat and places a heavy burden on the lives of patients. It must be mentioned that the first person infected with HIV had close contact with orangutans and monkeys.
Ebola is one of the world's deadliest epidemics, with a short duration of only a few days, and a mortality rate of more than 50% of infected people, even 90% at one point. The brutality of the Ebola virus is hard to say, and its origins remain unclear, but there is speculation that it is related to bats.
Yellow fever originated in Africa and spread to the Americas in the 17th century, infecting tens of thousands of people worldwide each year and causing thousands of deaths, and although it exists globally, it is mainly endemic in the African region, and its source is monkeys.
Recently, CNN published an article titled "Hunting for 'Disease X'", in which a Congolese woman developed symptoms of hemorrhagic fever and tested negative for the virus multiple times, raising concerns about the threat of a new unknown disease. Scientists warn that the threat of new viruses from the African rainforests is not to be underestimated, and that this "X disease" is mostly related to wildlife exposure.
Indigenous African people have frequent contact with wildlife, which increases the risk of disease transmission. The second outbreak of Ebola began at the funeral of a dead nurse and overlapped with the outbreak area of 2013-2016. Due to lagging economic development, it is difficult to implement effective isolation measures, and some villages are even far away
Being far from the city, this also serves as a natural isolation in a way. However, if there were an outbreak of Ebola in a highly dense city such as New York, the consequences would be severe.
The key to solving this problem lies in Africa's economic development. Only by improving the economic situation can a solid foundation be laid for Africa to overcome its current predicament. However, the complexity of the African continent makes the process complex and lengthy.
To achieve sustainable economic growth, Africa needs to overcome many challenges, including political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure and a widening gap between rich and poor. In addition, illegal activities in wildlife markets also need to be more strictly regulated and combated to reduce the indiscriminate killing of wildlife.
African countries need to take joint action to enact stricter laws and regulations, ensure wildlife protection, and strengthen education and awareness. At the same time, the international community should actively participate in providing support and resources to help African countries improve their economic conditions and reduce poverty, thereby reducing the risks associated with wildlife trade.
In short, Africa is a continent full of potential and opportunities, but it also faces many challenges. In order to preserve the living environment of wild animals and plants and protect human beings from the threat of disease, Africa must actively take measures to promote economic development, improve social conditions and reduce illegal activities in the wildlife trade. Only in this way can Africa truly emerge from its current predicament and usher in a brighter future.
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