Bamboo rat boom

Farmers Liu Suliang and Hu Yueqing－known as the "Chinese Farm Brothers"－were among many online influencers who propelled the rodent to fame by vlogging their routine life at a farm in Ganzhou, Jiangxi.

The pair was known for making short videos in which Liu doted on the roundish bamboo-gnawers before finding various excuses for slaughtering them off screen and turning them into grilled or stewed delicacies. The amusing videos even prompted netizens to post on Sina Weibo under the hashtag "A Hundred Reasons to Eat Bamboo Rats", which has 160 million views.

As a novel internet sensation, the bamboo rat is the focal point of a sprawling network of rural breeders, e-commerce vendors and streetside eateries, who have been marketing the meat as a skin care food that could be used to enhance beauty.

The rodent has up to four litters a year, and their newborns can grow from 10 grams to 2 kilograms in six months, making them an ideal species to breed in rural mountain areas in South China, where some farms of pigs, cows and other large animals have failed to pick up due to inadequate water supply and huge initial input.

Therefore, it is viewed by local authorities as an alternative to the more popular poverty-relief projects, such as growing herbal medicines or running embroidery workshops.

Yu Aizhi, a professor at Central University of Finance and Economics who specializes in rural economy, said the top priority now is the white list for exempted species and making sure farmers are compensated.

"A clear-cut white list is the speediest approach to reduce farmers' losses. It helps prevent some local governments from rolling out ultra-strict bans," she said.

Yu said that in the long run, efforts should be made to educate the public about wildlife consumption to reduce market demand. "The nutrients offered by rare wildlife are not much different from those in an egg."

Gan Yuanchun, an adviser with the Hunan Cuisine Industry Promotion Committee, a nonprofit group in Hunan province, advised against banning domesticated bamboo rats altogether, as it could prompt poachers to target wild relatives.

"To protect the wild species, I think more efforts should be made to tighten management over breeders."

Yu echoed the opinion, suggesting that technologies including block chain could be employed to trace origins of the animals, which would help reduce illegal wildlife trade.