COVID-19 Wildlife Markets and Animal Welfare

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the animal welfare and public health risks of live wildlife markets, renewing calls for their regulation or closure to prevent future pandemic emergence.

Key Facts

Phylogenetic evidence strongly suggests SARS-CoV-2 emerged from a wildlife reservoir, likely via a wet market
The Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan sold a wide variety of live wild animals prior to COVID-19
Over 40 countries have called for improved regulation of wildlife markets since the COVID-19 pandemic began
Some wildlife markets were temporarily closed during COVID-19 but many have since reopened
The WHO convened expert panels recommending risk-based approaches to live animal market regulation

Welfare Considerations

Live wildlife markets cause severe welfare problems for animals, who may be kept in cramped, dirty and stressful conditions for extended periods before slaughter, often killed using inhumane methods. The pandemic shone a global spotlight on these conditions, creating a rare political window for reform. Animal welfare advocates and public health experts share common cause in calling for improved or eliminated live wildlife markets. The welfare-disease nexus makes this one of the most powerful arguments for wholesale animal welfare reform in terms of its global importance.

What You Can Do

Support WHO and FAO calls for improved live animal market regulation
Advocate for your government to press for international wildlife market reform through multilateral bodies
Support organisations working on wildlife market reform such as TRAFFIC and WCS
Share accurate information about wildlife markets and disease risk to counter misinformation
Engage with the animal welfare dimension of pandemic prevention in public health conversations