Wuhan vendors who worked at the infamous wild animal market reopen stalls elsewhere

Vendors who used to trade at an infamous Wuhan wet market closely linked to the coronavirus pandemic have reportedly reopened their stalls in other markets in the city. 

The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which is believed to have spawned the global outbreak, was shut on January 1 in the wake of the health crisis.

Chinese experts previously said that the virus had likely jumped onto humans from wild animals sold as food in Huanan, which reportedly offered a wide selection of exotic meat ranging from foxes to koalas. 

The picture shows the shellfish sold by former Huanan vendors

Some of the traders of the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market have relocated their shops to the North Hankou Seafood Market to resume business, one of them told a local media outlet. The pictures above show the crayfish (left) and shellfish (right) sold by former Huanan vendors

One former Huanan seller said she was looking forward to moving back to Huanan one day. The picture above shows workers moving goods at the North Hankou Seafood Market in Wuhan

One former Huanan seller said she was looking forward to moving back to Huanan one day. The picture above shows workers moving goods at the North Hankou Seafood Market in Wuhan

Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market (pictured), where the coronavirus pandemic is believed to have started, was one of the largest marketplace in Wuhan with throngs of customers daily

Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market (pictured), where the coronavirus pandemic is believed to have started, was one of the largest marketplace in Wuhan with throngs of customers daily

A list of prices for one of the businesses operating at the market showed 'live tree bears' which is the Chinese for 'koala' (circled above). The controversial market was shut down on January 1

A list of prices for one of the businesses operating at the market showed ‘live tree bears’ which is the Chinese for ‘koala’ (circled above). The controversial market was shut down on January 1

Some of Huanan’s sellers have relocated their shops to the North Hankou Seafood Market to resume business, according to a video report from Chinese outlet Pear

One seafood trader told reporters that many former vendors at Huanan had moved to the new location some nine miles to the north of Huanan.

‘We moved here after Huanan was shut down on January 1,’ she said. ‘[I] have to keep doing business. I need to make a living by this.’

She said many of her fellow Huanan colleagues had lost their livelihood due to the closure of the Huanan market. 

She also confessed that her business had nosedived and that she was looking forward to moving back to Huanan.

‘[I] will wait until the Huanan reopens, then I will reopen [my stall] there.’

Signposts at the North Hankou Seafood Market show that the trading of wild animals are now banned due to the virus outbreak.

Zhang Lao'er (pictured), a former Huanan vendor, now sells live crayfish on the street of Wuhan

Zhang Lao’er (pictured), a former Huanan vendor, now sells live crayfish on the street of Wuhan

Zhang said he had to keep his business running to feed his family of six after Huanan was shut

Zhang said he had to keep his business running to feed his family of six after Huanan was shut

The man said his family had been selling crayfish in Huanan since 2002 until it was closed

The man said his family had been selling crayfish in Huanan since 2002 until it was closed

Another family, who had kept a shop in Huanan for 17 years, are now selling live crayfish, a local delicacy, on the street. 

Zhang Lao’er, the head of the family, said he had to keep his business running to feed his family of six.  

‘I am selling crayfish by the road now to survive. The business is bad,’ Mr Zhang told Pear.

The man said his family had been selling crayfish in Huanan since 2002 until it was closed. 

Scientists from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said tests proved humans caught it from animals at the market where customers chose from live animals that were slaughtered in front of them (picture purportedly shows skinned chicks at the market)

Scientists from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said tests proved humans caught it from animals at the market where customers chose from live animals that were slaughtered in front of them (picture purportedly shows skinned chicks at the market)

Experts have suggested that the deadly disease may have originated in bats, snakes, pangolins or other wild animals. The social media picture purports to show snakes being sold in Huanan

Experts have suggested that the deadly disease may have originated in bats, snakes, pangolins or other wild animals. The social media picture purports to show snakes being sold in Huanan

An image from social media shows what appears to be a beaver and a small deer at Huanan

An image from social media shows what appears to be a beaver and a small deer at Huanan

Although Huanan was marked as a seafood market, the market’s offerings included live wild animals, such as foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, koalas and game meats, a previous report revealed. 

Scientists from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention linked the Huanan market to the virus in late January. They believed that humans had caught the virus from animals there, reported Xinhua News Agency

Civets, a cat-like creature thought to have caused the SARS outbreak in 2003, were among dozens of species listed as for sale by one of the merchants at the Wuhan market according to a price list that circulated on China’s internet. 

The exact source of the new coronavirus remains unconfirmed. Experts speculate that it originated in bats, snakes, pangolins, or some other animal.  

Wuhan, with a population of 11million, has banned the eating of wild animals, a practice believed to have caused the coronavirus pandemic.

Wuhan, with a population of 11million, has banned the eating of wild animals, a practice believed to have caused the coronavirus pandemic. The above picture shows a blocked entrance to Huanan seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on March 30

Wuhan, with a population of 11million, has banned the eating of wild animals, a practice believed to have caused the coronavirus pandemic. The above picture shows a blocked entrance to Huanan seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on March 30

Huanan was closed on January 1 in relation to the epidemic, according to state-run media. A woman is pictured disinfecting the pavement near the former Huanan market on March 30

Huanan was closed on January 1 in relation to the epidemic, according to state-run media. A woman is pictured disinfecting the pavement near the former Huanan market on March 30

In China alone, the virus has claimed 4,634 lives and infected 82,995 people, officials claim.

Globally, at least 355,000 people have died and over 5.6million have contracted the killer infection. 

The Chinese province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital city, in March passed a law to ban the eating of wild animals completely, including those bred or raised by people. 

In February, China‘s central government blocked all trade and consumption of wildlife with a temporarily law, but it did not specify if farm-raised ones would be covered. 

China’s overall wildlife trade is worth around 520billion yuan (£57billion), according to a government report from 2017.