Bizarre! Residents make meal of mice in virus-hit Malawi

Seasoned and cooked to a crisp, mice are sold at street stalls. Pic/AFP

A popular snack when food is bountiful, mice have become a vital source of protein in Malawi since the Coronavirus outbreak aggravated food shortages and economic hardship.

Vendors waving long skewers of roasted field mice typically stand along Malawi's main highway, targeting motorists and travellers. Malnutrition and food insecurity are perennial issues in the small, landlocked nation, where more than half of the population lives below the poverty line.

The Coronavirus, which has infected nearly 5,500 people and killed more than 170, has only exacerbated food shortages. Environmentalists, however, have voiced concern about damage caused by hunting methods as demand increases. The rodents are typically found in corn fields, where they grow plump on grains.

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