I came across this also when I was looking at the live Keyrings.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/vending-machine-sells-live-crabs.php

Vending Machine Sells Live Crabs

Video at above link.

by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil on 10.24.10
Food & Health

For those folks who love the taste of seafood but hate all the trouble of fishing it from the ocean, http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/illegal-fishing-threatening-worlds-most-isolated-tribe.html one recently unveiled invention in China has a cruelly-convenient solution -- a vending machine that dispenses crabs, guaranteed to be alive or your next meal is free! That's right, for around $1.50 you can now buy a living, breathing snack with the same ease normally reserved for the purchase of a can of soda or a bag of chips, perfect if you're on the run or need a quick bite in a pinch.

Shanghai Hairy Crabs are currently being sold from the morally bankrupt vending machines in subways stops in Nanjing, China, for between $1.50 and $7.50, based on the weight of the crustaceans. If a customer is unfortunate enough to wind up with a crab that failed to survive its cruel confinement, the company that supplies the machines promises a reimbursement of not one, not two, but three living animals for them to munch on.

According to a report from the Japan Probe, the crabs are stored in plastic containers inside the machine and chilled to temperature of around 41°F. When the animals are cooled, says the manufacturer, they enter a state of hibernation -- but worry not, they'll wake right up shortly after being dispensed.

If the machines appear to catch on with the crab-loving subway commuters, the inventor says he plans on expanding on his idea into other countries. Perhaps what the world needs instead, however, is a vending machine that dispenses a bit of decency. After all, shouldn't consuming living things be a little less convenient?