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All nine civet cats at renowned Beijing Zoo have been removed from public display and placed in isolation, the Beijing Morning Post has reported.

Zhang Jinguo, deputy head of Beijing Zoo, said that zoo authorities made decision on May 23 to quarantine the civet cat in response to reports that a virus similar to that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been detected in the animals.

"The isolation would facilitate scientific observation and quarantine so as to guard against and prevent any potential hazard," said Zhang, who noted the civet cats at Beijing Zoo have been raised for the purposes of display and research, but never as a food source.

According to Zhang, the zoo vets have carried out regular quarantines of the civet cat and disinfected the sheds where they live. To date, neither civet cats nor zoo employees have shown any symptoms of SARS.

Zhang expressed his conviction that the outbreak of SARS was attributed to special circumstances and, in case of civet cats, they have been raised for displays and researches. He has appealed for the lenient treatment of the pretty, precious and lovely animals.

The Wildlife Protection Center of the Beijing Forestry Bureau on Monday also inspected the capital city's only legitimate civet cat farm at an outskirt area of the national capital, where 242 civet cats are being raised or domesticated.

The farm, which began raising the animals last year, has not yet sold any. Its owner was prompted to implement a strict regimen of quarantine and disinfection.

Wang Minzhong, director of the center, pledged that no new permits would be issued for the breeding of the animal and that all catering businesses would be closely monitored to guard against and prevent the consumption of civet cats.

Earlier, a few individual scientists in China traced a virus similar to that of the SARS to the civet cat and the raccoon, both animals found in the wild in the country and elsewhere in the world.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2003)