China's top legislature on Thursday passed an interpretation of the Criminal Law, which will put eaters of rare wild animals in jail.

The Chinese government considers some 420 species of wild animals rare or endangered. They include giant pandas, golden monkeys, Asian black bears and pangolins.

Anyone who eats animals on the list or buys them for other purposes will be considered to be breaking the Criminal Law and face a jail term up to more than 10 years, according to the legal document adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Having some of the world's richest wildlife, China is home to about 6,500 vertebrate species, about 10 percent of the world's total.

The survival of wildlife in the country faces serious challenges from illegal hunting, consumption of wild animal products and a worsening environment.

Asian countries are a major market for wildlife smuggling. Traditional Chinese cuisine includes shark fins and traditional Chinese medicines incorporate products like bear bile and tiger bone. Eating rare wild animals is a main reason why illegal hunting has not been stopped despite repeated crackdowns.

Wild animal buyers face a maximum of three years' imprisonment.