Animal activist in Shanghai managed to rescue 300 cats from a man who was intending to sell them to restaurants in south China earlier this week.

The rescue attempt took place when the activists found 22 cages with cats in a backyard in Shanghai. The cats were supposed to be sent by boat to Guangdong province where they probably would have ended up on the plate. Cat meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of China and some restaurants are specialized on preparing the meat.

Most of the cats could be returned to their owners, but three cats were already dead and some had injuries and broken limbs.

The police caught the animal smuggler after he got onto a fight with the animal activists. However, since there are no law protecting animal rights in China the man was released after only a few hours.