(File photo: China Daily)

A children's book containing a description of eating wild animals has been removed from all outlets across the country.

The book, which relays information about different animals , states the meat of masked civet, which was believed to cause the SARS outbreak in 2003, is edible.

It also said the fat of the masked civet is used as raw material in cosmetics productions, and its fur can be made into gloves.

The publisher, Wuhan University Press in Hubei province — outbreak center of the novel coronavirus — said on Tuesday it has immediately removed all the books from sales outlets and other relevant matters are under investigation.

On Feb 10, a netizen posted an article online claiming the book contained an inappropriate statement, that it was acceptable to eat wild animals. The book was found reprinted in May 2017.