China in outcry over ‘owl wine’

Disturbing pictures appearing to show drowned owls in liquor jars have sparked outrage across China.

Not a hoot. Quack medicine to tweet joint pain? © Shanghaiist/Weibo

According to a report by Shanghaiist, a Weibo-user uploaded images of owls in Chinese baijiu jars which are apparently used to aid headaches and joint pain.

An undercover journalist from Sina News then followed up and managed to get the contact details of the seller who is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner based in Guangzhou.

The seller, going by the name of Li admitted, “The owls are all soaked alive. They are submerged inside and choke on the alcohol, that way they are infused inside and out, making the medicine more effective.”

TCM has long used animal parts in its products in the belief that they can cure various ailments such as fever, impotency, headaches and arthritis but is gradually falling out of favour with Chinese residents as the health system moves towards more Western practices.

Last year, db reported on a video which showed a live snake being drowned in Chinese liquor.

Owls are also under second-class protection in China and netizens quickly condemned the images, calling for “quick and severe punishment” for the perpetrators – possibly Mr Li in this case.