The first draft of the law on the protection of wildlife has been revised, in which animal welfare has been recognized for the first time in China, reported thepaper.cn on Tuesday.

Selling and consuming wild animals are rampant in some areas in China due to lack of protection of the wildlife, let alone their welfare.

"Lack of animal welfare protection will impede our efforts to curb animal abuse such as catching and killing them or making them perform," said Yang Zhaoxia, deputy chief of ecological law research center in Beijing Forestry University, adding that "this is the biggest issue in our law system related in wildlife protection."

So far, there are no regulations related to punishments for hurting or abusing wildlife in China, Yang said.

Chang Jiwen, a professor at Institute of Law of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is significant for China to put animal welfare into law since China has one of the most diverse wildlife in the world.

After the law is passed, living and breeding conditions of wild animals will also be standardized said Chang.

The current law on the protection of wildlife has been criticized by many experts and animal activists as it has not been revised for 25 years except two minor regulations and for being out of date, according to thepaper.cn.

(China Daily December 16, 2014)