An undercover investigation in China has revealed a shocking underground butchery in central China where protected animal species are slaughtered on-site and sold to restaurants . The illegal meat market in the town of Liurenba in Hubei Province - a mountainous area known for its diversity of wild animal species - is reported to be less than 50 metres from the local governmental office , according to the People ’ s Daily Online . The investigation was prompted after local residents alerted the media to a complex supply chain from surrounding forests to restaurant dining tables . Shock : Wild animals are killed and skinned in an underground butchery in Liurenba town in Hubei Province . Precious : Many of the wild animals being processed are protected species such as wild goats . Bloody : More than 40 pieces of wild goat 's skin are hung over the balcony at the butchery , which is largest wild animal meat supplier in the area . Around a dozen types of wild animals , including hares , boars , pheasants and goats , were seen on the butcher ’ s table around the two-storey slaughterhouse . More than 40 hides of wild goat , a protected animal in Hubei Province , were also seen to be hung over the balcony . Behind a chopping block , which had freshly slaughtered wild boar , the butchery put up a sign saying ‘ wholesale and retail ’ . Street market : An earlier probe found a mobile vendor is seen selling wild animal meats by a highway in Hebei Province near China 's capital , Beijing . Pick and choose : Passers-by pick their favourite among a selection of wild hares and pheasants . Illegal dish : Wild hares are a protected animal species in Hebei . According to nearby residents , this meat market has operated for years and is home to the largest wild animal meat suppliers in the region . More similar wild animal butchers were spotted by the investigators in nearby towns and counties , selling crates of dead goats , hog badgers , wild pheasants , civets and wild hares , many protected by local government . Anonymous insiders revealed that some residents in the area considered wild creatures a threat to their crops . In addition , they hunt them to earn extra money for their families . Local delicacy : Pheasants are caged and sold by the highway . Supply and demand : Poaching in China is illegal , but with restaurants paying top money for the animals which are sold as delicacies , a huge underground chain has been created . Poaching in China is illegal , but with restaurants paying top money for the animals which are sold as delicacies , a huge underground chain has been created . A wild chicken is sold for around 40 yuan ( £4.30 ) and 1kg of wild goat meat is priced at around 40 yuan . Local restaurants bill wild animal meats as 'speciality dishes ' . Their prices are normally twice as much as normal meat dishes . An earlier article on People ’ s Daily Online revealed similar trade in Hubei Province near Beijing . In the article , a mobile butchery sold wild animals including pheasants , hares and boars by a highway to passers-by who were looking to purchase food ingredients for the Chinese New Year .
2015 exposed the largest wild goat butchery in Liurenba town . A protected species of wild goat among those bought and sold . wild goat retails for about £ 4.30 a week . Other animals on butcher 's table include wild hares , boars and civets . Local restaurants bill wild animal as ‘ speciality item ’ on the menu . Several similar butcheries are found in nearby villages .