3600 Crocodiles Seized in China - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.

Chinese officials have seized 3,600 Siamese crocodiles in the Guangxi Zhuang region of the China-Vietnam border. Believed to have stopped the sale of endangered reptiles to restaurants in the Guangdong province, officials were able to rescue all but 42 of the crocodiles, which died from extreme heat and wretched conditions.

In spite of government attempts to prevent exotic animal trafficking in China, a strong black market still exists and according to the environmental group, Green Eye of China, “Although people all know it is illegal to eat these wild creatures, they will still eat them as long as the market sells them. What's needed is a long-term, stronger campaign to explain to people why they shouldn't eat crocodile.”

Throughout the world, many endangered species are being exported for human consumption. Forest elephants in Africa most known to be slaughtered for their ivory are also killed for their meat.

The Chinese giant salamander, which is the world’s biggest living amphibian and highly endangered , is still considered a luxury dish in China. Although protected in North America, caribou herds are also dwindling due to illegal hunting for their meat.