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From The Columbus Dispatch.com
Disappointed, but not surprised.
— Kenn
Dog was among the foods eaten in space by China’s first astronaut, according to his recently published autobiography as reported in a British newspaper.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Yang Liwei, who was launched into space in the Shenzhou 5 mission in 2003, made the revelation in a matter-of-fact way in his book, The Nine Levels Between Heaven and Earth.
“Many of my friends are curious about what we eat and think that the astronauts must have some expensive delicacies, like shark fin or abalone,” Yang wrote, according to a translation in the newspaper. “Actually we ate quite normal food.”
Yang listed braised chicken and steamed fish in addition to dog meat. Dog was also eaten during a later space mission, the newspaper reported.
Dog meat is a traditional food in China, though it is not widely eaten. Earlier this year, the Chinese government issued a draft proposal to prohibit the practice.
Animal-rights activists criticized Yang over the revelation.
“Yang Liwei is a role model for so many young people, and he is one of China’s greatest heroes,” Jill Robinson, founder of Animals Asia, told The Telegraph.
Robinson pointed out the role dogs played in China in 2008 when the animals rescued victims from the Sichuan earthquake and provided protection during the Beijing Olympics. “We hope that (Yang) might recognize dogs as the heroes they are, too,” Robinson said.
