Amid warnings about the possible return of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), restaurants in the capital of south China's Guangdong Province were again allowed in mid-October to serve civet cats, the carrier of a virus similar to the SARS corona virus.

Lian Junhao, an official in charge of wild life protection in Guangzhou, said the city began to issue licenses permitting restaurants to sell game food.

The Cuicui Farm Restaurant in Baiyun district became the first to get permission to serve wild animals, including crocodile, boar, turkey and civet cat.

The city started to handle applications for licenses from restaurants in September after the province published a list of wild animals which were permitted for meal.

Civet cats, once commonly seen in Guangdong restaurants, were banned after scientists found a SARS-like virus on the animal.
 

 (People's Daily October 20, 2003)