Experts: Bushmeat May Trigger Mass Death Pandemic

Scientists are warning that the world could face a new HIV strain as a result of the failure to stop poachers from killing great apes and monkeys for “bushmeat.” We have previously seen how bushmeat remains a great draw for Africans even in the United States. However, scientists are warning that it could be humanity itself that will bear the costs of the continuing slaughter of apes and monkeys as humans are exposed to new strains that are highly compatible with human bodies.

The article below details how international efforts have failed to stop poachers who are paid large amounts by Africans to kill gorillas and chimpanzees for bush meat. According to one estimate, up to 3,000 gorillas are slaughtered in southern Cameroon every year for bush meat — a shocking statistic.

The article also details how in one case an entire village died after feasting on a gorilla found dead in the jungle. The only survivor was the one resident who did not eat the meat. With three-quarters of human viruses coming from other animals, eating ages is particularly stupid because of the huge overlap in our DNA. A virus can move easily from ape to man. That is the presumed source of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Then there is the devastating environmental damage. Nevertheless, an estimated 11,000 tons of bushmeat is illegally smuggled into the United Kingdom alone.

Source: Independent