The Welfare of Animals at Night Markets

Night markets in Asia selling live animals create welfare and conservation concerns at significant scale.

Key Facts

Night markets in China, Thailand, and other Asian countries sell live wildlife for food and medicine
Animals are kept alive in cramped conditions for extended periods before sale
Live wildlife markets create conditions for zoonotic disease transmission
COVID-19 accelerated regulatory attention to live wildlife markets globally

Welfare Considerations

Live wildlife markets create welfare emergencies for individual animals while posing disease transmission risks to humans. Animals held in cramped, unsanitary conditions for sale are stressed, vulnerable to injury, and exposed to pathogens from other species. The COVID-19 pandemic focused global attention on the zoonotic disease risks of live wildlife markets but regulatory responses have been inconsistent. Addressing these markets requires engaging with food culture, food security, and traditional medicine use while advocating for welfare and disease safety standards.

What You Can Do

Support international agreements strengthening live wildlife market regulations
Engage with the zoonotic disease dimension of live wildlife markets
Support organizations working on wildlife market reform in Asia
Advocate for phased elimination of live wildlife markets selling non-domesticated species