<![CDATA[Coronavirus: still in the mood for bat? At Indonesia's 'Tomohon Extreme Market' it's on the menu]>

You might think the spread of the coronavirus across Asia would have dealt a fatal blow to markets selling exotic animals for human consumption. But you'd be wrong.

Bats, snakes, dogs, monkeys and other 'delicacies' are still being sold every day at the Tomohon Extreme Market in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, despite warnings from experts that doing so could make it a breeding ground for the virus.

While scientists are still debating the origins of the coronavirus, it has been widely linked to China's Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan City, Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, and is thought by many to have jumped over into humans from either bats or snakes. Since the first human cases emerged in December, it has killed nearly 500 people and infected nearly 25,000 across 25 countries.

Bats on sale at the Tomohon Extreme Market in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: YAKI alt=Bats on sale at the Tomohon Extreme Market in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: YAKI

Yet at Tomohon Extreme Market, both bats and snakes remain very much on the menu, despite experts' warnings of potentially disastrous consequences.

"Tomohon Extreme Market and other markets selling wildlife in Indonesia are potentially breeding grounds for the coronavirus," said Professor R. Wasito, of the Veterinary Pathology Department of University Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, who said the virus was known to exist in bats, pigs, cattle, wild birds, mammals and some fish.

Prof Wasito stressed that as far as he knew, there had been "no case of coronavirus being transmitted from bats to humans in Indonesia".

The warning came as North Sulawesi reported its first suspected case of the coronavirus in its provincial capital of Manado, about 25km from the Tomohon market. The patient, a two-year-old Chinese toddler being treated in a hospital isolation ward, has been in Manado since January 21, reported The Jakarta Post.

While some news outlets have reported that the market has taken bat off the menu following the coronavirus outbreak, NGOs told This Week in Asia bat meat was still being sold both in Tomohon and other markets in the area.

NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED

The Tomohon Extreme Market is not for the faint-hearted and takes pride in its reputation as one of the country's "scariest markets".

Tourists walking down its aisles can see wildlife ranging from cats and dogs, to bats, snakes and monkeys being bludgeoned with a wooden pole before being blowtorched, sometimes still alive, as cries of pain ring out.

The meat is blow-torched in front of tourists' eyes at the Tomohon Extreme Market in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: YAKI alt=The meat is blow-torched in front of tourists' eyes at the Tomohon Extreme Market in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: YAKI

It has traditionally been popular with Chinese tourists, but visitor numbers have dropped drastically since the Indonesian government brought in a temporary ban on Chinese visitors which came into effect at 12am on Wednesday. Flights from China have also been halted.

On Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian told the government not to "overreact and cause a negative impact on investment and the economy," reported The Jakarta Post.

The ambassador reportedly said Indonesia should follow the advice of the World Health Organisation, which, despite having declared a global emergency over the deadly coronavirus, is not recommending countries restrict travel or trade with China.

President Joko Widodo responded by saying that "our national interest is number 1," reported Detik.com.

On Monday, China's ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian explained in an interview with Bernama TV that not all Chinese ate exotic wildlife meats. He said only a small number of people did so and that the Chinese government had started educating people over the health risks.

He said he and his family had never eaten nor were they interested in eating exotic wildlife.

"It is also by law and regulations, the Chinese government has been exercising maximum protection of the flora and fauna of China including wild animals and plants," he said. "But of course, there are a few people who do have a preference for eating wild animals which they think are more nutritious."

Bali Animals Defender, a non-government organisation (NGO) for animal rights, has called on the government to either "closely monitor" or shut the Tomohon market on the grounds of health and animal welfare violations.

"Tomohon is famous for selling non-food meat. For the local community, perhaps this is viewed as part of Tomohon's uniqueness but for me this is not right," said Jovand Imanuel Calvary, head of the NGO. "There is no monitoring of health and food standards and from the animal welfare point of view, many violations occur there."

He said this was partly due to public ignorance about health standards, warning the problem had become more dangerous in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

"I am sure Indonesia does not want to become known as a spreader of new pathogenic diseases," Jovand added.

HOLIDAY TREAT

However, the market does not cater solely to tourists. Long before the tourists arrived, the idea was to cater to North Sulawesi's Minahasa people, most of whom are Christian, and consume dishes including bat on holidays such as Easter and Christmas.

The Minahasa people began eating these meats when they lived on the highlands of Sulawesi centuries ago and the tradition remains strong.

Bat is one of the most popular dishes for the Minahasa and many restaurants serve it.

"Some local residents eat these bats every day, some eat them once a week," said Royke Rarumangkay, a North Sulawesi-based journalist for CNN Indonesia.

Royke said locals had complained to him and were themselves shocked to learn that some people thought bats were the source of the coronavirus, as they had been eating bats for decades.

Rats are sold for human consumption at the Tomohon Extreme Market in Indonesia. Photo: YAKI alt=Rats are sold for human consumption at the Tomohon Extreme Market in Indonesia. Photo: YAKI

Since the outbreak of the latest coronavirus, restaurants in Manado have put a temporary hold on selling bat dishes, but they are still available in more rural areas such as Tomohon.

But while some want markets such as Tomohon to be shut down, others warn that doing so could drive the trade underground.

"If the markets are closed, the traders would go to people's homes and sell the meat door-to-door, making it difficult to monitor the trade," said Benny Mamoto, a retired police general and ambassador for YAKI, another NGO, which takes its name from a protected species of monkey that is sometimes eaten in the area.

Mamoto warned that consuming wild meat was dangerous and that people who frequently ate Yaki monkeys often developed tuberculosis and hepatitis.

He said the only way to stop people eating Yaki and other endangered species was to educate them.

"When people become aware, then they will stop eating the wildlife," he said, adding that YAKI had 100 volunteers educating the local community.

Snake is another delicacy at the Tomohon Extreme Market in Indonesia. Photo: YAKI alt=Snake is another delicacy at the Tomohon Extreme Market in Indonesia. Photo: YAKI

Prof Wasito in Yogyakarta said meat traders needed to be educated too. He called for the government to provide facilities for "fantastic sanitation" in market places and strengthen the preparations of all quarantine offices.

Despite the growing spread of the disease, scientists still appear at odds as to its origins. Last week, experts from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said research indicated the novel coronavirus stemmed from wild animals on sale at the Wuhan market. But at the same time, Chinese researchers from several institutions wrote in the medical science journal The Lancet that 13 of 41 infected patients had no links to the Wuhan market.

Bin Cao of Capital Medical University, the corresponding author of The Lancet article and a pulmonary specialist, wrote in ScienceInsider: "Now It seems clear that [the] seafood market is not the only origin of the virus ... But to be honest, we still do not know where the virus came from."

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