Year of Snake Sees Serpent Sales Soar in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, where snake soup is considered a delicacy, an increasing number of serpents are slithering their way into local households, with sales of the uncuddly pet rocketing as the Year of the Snake approaches.

Published

3 months ago

Categories

World, Arts & Society

Topics

Pets, United States

Places

Hong Kong

Transcript

SHOTLIST: HONG KONG, FEB 8, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - VAR owner of soup restaurant showing off snakes HONG KONG, FEB 4, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV - VAR pet stores in Mongkok neighbourhood SOUNDBITE 2 Vincent Cheung (man), Reptile Paradise pet store director (English, 13 sec): + about the young generation of snake lovers in Hong Kong + "They learn from the Internet on the snake hobby, how to breed them. So when the Year of the Snake comes, it gives them a fresh idea and they really want to save their money a couple months ago to buy a snake." - VAR snakes SOUNDBITE 3 Gourry Chan (man), Turtle Park pet store director (Cantonese, 13 sec): "After the media reported people were keeping snakes as pets for the Year of the Snake, more people are coming to ask about snakes or buy them. But we suggest people do not buy them just because of that." - VAR snakes SOUNDBITE 5 Gourry Chan (man), Turtle Park pet store director (Cantonese, 8 sec): "Snakes can normally live up to 10 or 20 years, so what will people do with them once this fad is over?" - VAR snakes in their plastic boxes ///