Poly Dragon Palace Hotel Suspected of Illegal Operation
Alligator Palms
The Wildlife Protection Station has temporarily confiscated some of the wildlife seized from the hotel.
According to the address provided by Master Wu, the reporter went to Fengtian Street in Shenhe District and found the hotel selling elephant meat. On the LED display screen in front of the hotel, there were prominently flashing words advertising elephant meat, flying dragon meat, five-step snake, cobra, etc., with the slogan "Taste exotic flavors from around the world, strengthen men's and women's health," attracting passersby.
The reporter learned from the hotel staff that this hotel had been selling wild game like elephant meat for a while and it was currently very popular among customers. The staff also introduced in detail the methods of eating cobra and alligator tails, suggesting the reporter make an early reservation. When asked if they sold elephant meat, the server said that elephant meat was highly sought after and there was no stock left that day. When the reporter expressed interest in reserving elephant meat for the next day, the server promised that each serving would be priced at 78 yuan.
Elephant meat is prohibited from being bought or sold, as per the law.
Yesterday morning, when the reporter again called to inquire about the sale of elephant meat, the server told the reporter that the hotel on Fengtian Street could not get supplies for now, and suggested going to the branch in Heping where elephant meat would certainly be available. Subsequently, the reporter contacted the Heping branch of the hotel, and the server confirmed that their hotel was called "Poly Dragon Palace" and indeed sold elephant meat, with each serving also priced at 78 yuan. They also sold wild game such as cobras and king flower snakes.
Deputy Director Liu Xiaqiang of the Shenyang Wildlife Protection Station told the reporter that according to relevant provisions of the "Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China," elephants and their products are prohibited from being bought or sold, including elephant meat. The act of hotels using elephant meat to attract customers already涉嫌violates national laws and regulations. Deputy Director Liu Xiaqiang analyzed that the so-called elephant meat sold by this hotel might likely be fake. According to his information, it was currently impossible for real elephant meat to flow into Shenyang, let alone onto hotel dining tables.
Not Real Elephant Meat, Purchased from "Bei Xing"
The reporter accompanied the enforcement officers of the wildlife protection station and arrived at the "Poly Dragon Palace" hotel selling elephant meat. In the hotel hall, the enforcement officers seized water pythons, king flower snakes, and other wildlife explicitly forbidden from being bred or consumed. Regarding the issue of the hotel selling elephant meat, the hotel manager admitted that they purchased it from "Bei Xing" (a local market), and it was not real elephant meat. Additionally, they used goose meat to impersonate swan meat for sales.
Enforcement officer Zhao Yuhai told the reporter that some of the hump meat or flying dragon meat stored in the hotel had already been altered in form by the hotel side, making it impossible for them to identify whether it was wildlife. The hotel manager stated that the hotel did not have any real wildlife; they just wanted to take advantage of people's curiosity and use a "gray area" method to attract diners.
Suspected to Be Processed From Other Animal Meats, Called Crispy Elephant Meat
A hotel chef revealed that what was referred to as elephant meat was actually crispy elephant meat, which was purchased at 40 yuan per piece from "Bei Xing." It was then sold in the hotel at 78 yuan per serving, with each serving weighing between 3-4 taels. This chef admitted that the elephant meat contained no actual elephant components. It was entirely due to the common name of crispy elephant meat that the hotel owner thought calling it "elephant meat" would be more attractive, hence naming it as such.
What exactly is crispy elephant meat? This chef analyzed that this product originated from the south, especially popular in Guangdong, and was very likely made from processed meat of other animals. Deputy Director Liu Xiaqiang told the reporter that whether wild or domesticated, elephant meat and swan meat are absolutely prohibited from being sold. Currently, based on relevant laws and regulations, the wildlife protection station has determined that the "Poly Dragon Palace" hotel is suspected of illegally operating wildlife. According to Article 37 of the Administrative Punishment Law, part of the seized wildlife has been temporarily confiscated, awaiting further investigation before corresponding penalties are imposed.
By Reporter Mei Tianqing, Photographs by Chang Shenggang