Part 3/7:
The Dark Side: Linking Local Practices to Trafficking and Missing Persons
The narrator humorously speculates about a disturbing possibility—that if any visitors had gone missing in these markets, their bodies could metaphorically or literally "end up on the menu." This dark humor hints at a suspicion or acknowledgment of the brutality and potential for illicit practices that coexist within these markets, where exotic or rare animals might be hunted or trafficked.
This reflection taps into broader concerns about wildlife trafficking and illegal hunting, although the narrator emphasizes that, in this context, the slaughter often serves a practical purpose—providing food for families rather than for entertainment or cruelty.