South China's Guangdong province has issued a bulletin on the civet cat, which scientists believe is the likely source of the SARS virus.
Feng Shaoming, spokesman for the Guangdong Health Bureau, said the cat is an endangered species, and that trading of the animal is totally illegal.
Local police and health authorities are stepping up actions to disinfect animal markets and hunt out those involved in illegal animal trading.
Saturday's newspapers in Guangdong carried pictures of the civet cat, following the announcement by researchers that the coronavirus which causes SARS had been traced to the feline.
(CRI online May 25, 2003)
