Wild game meat, usually eaten by customers at specialty restaurants in Japan, is being processed and sold as pet food for dogs and cats as normal sales channels dry up amid the pandemic.
"Gibier," a French word adopted into Japanese meaning wild game meat, is highly nutritious and popular among pet owners, and it is much in demand due to a pandemic-driven pet ownership boom.
As wildlife damage to agriculture remains an issue for farmers, food distributors hope to minimize it by expanding sales of gibier as pet food and providing a reliable source of income for hunters.