Do not eat wild animals; do not buy, sell, or keep protected species as pets

No cost involved. Only purchase pets that are legally sourced and bred in captivity.

Consuming or purchasing nationally protected wildlife results in confiscation of the animal and a fine of 2 to 20 times its value. Breeding such animals without a permit also leads to confiscation and a fine of 1 to 10 times the animal’s value. Illegal trade of protected species and their products carries up to 5 years in prison and financial penalties; repeat offenders face 5 to 10 years, and those committing especially serious violations may be sentenced to over 10 years. Hunting, buying, transporting, or selling other terrestrial wildlife for consumption is punishable by up to 3 years in prison if done on a large scale. A notable case: in 2021, three breeders sold over 40 captive-bred rose-ringed parakeets (a second-class protected species) worth less than 400 yuan total, and prosecutors decided not to prosecute. Since 2022, China’s top courts have clarified that animals bred in captivity at scale for pet trade generally do not constitute a crime nationwide.

全国人大常委会 (2022). 野生动物保护法（2022 年修订，第三十一、五十一、五十三条）. https://www.mee.gov.cn/ywgz/fgbz/fl/202302/t20230220_1016885.shtml（生态环境部转载）；全国人大 (2020). 刑法（根据刑法修正案（十一）修正，第三百四十一条）. https://jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/11033925/index.html；全国人大常委会 (2020). 刑法修正案（十一）（第四十一条，即刑法第三百四十一条第三款）. https://www.spp.gov.cn/zdgz/202012/t20201227_503682.shtml；最高人民法院、最高人民检察院 (2022). 关于办理破坏野生动物资源刑事案件适用法律若干问题的解释（法释〔2022〕12 号，第十三条）. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/xwfbh/wsfbt/202204/t20220407_553506.shtml；最高人民检察院 (2023). 鹦鹉小案 民生大案. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/zdgz/202302/t20230211_601023.shtml

The exemption from criminal liability applies only to animals bred in captivity and sold as pets. It does not cover animals caught in the wild or those with unclear origins. The official list of protected species determines eligibility; checking this list before purchase can prevent future legal trouble.