The Controversial Global Trade in Donkey Skins: A Threat to the Survival of Millions of Working Donkeys

The donkey, a resilient and adaptable animal, has been an integral part of rural communities for centuries. In many parts of the world, particularly in Africa, donkeys are the backbone of poor, rural populations, providing transportation, water, and livelihoods. However, this humble animal is now under threat due to the controversial global trade in donkey skins.

The origins of this trade can be traced back to China, where a traditional medicinal remedy called Ejiao is in high demand. Ejiao is made from the gelatin in donkey skin and is believed to have health-enhancing and youth-preserving properties. The demand for Ejiao has led to the slaughter and export of donkey skins on a massive scale, with an estimated 5.9 million donkeys being killed every year to supply it (Donkey Sanctuary, 2022).

The consequences of this trade are devastating for communities that rely on donkeys. In Kenya, for instance, about half of the country’s donkey population was slaughtered between 2016 and 2019 (Onyango, 2022). The loss of these animals has left many people stranded, unable to work or earn a living.

The Donkey Sanctuary, an organization that has been campaigning against the trade since 2017, estimates that at least 5.9 million donkeys are killed annually to supply the Ejiao industry. However, it is important to note that these figures are difficult to verify, as the trade is often clandestine and illegal in many places.

In Africa, where about two-thirds of the world’s 53 million donkeys live, the regulations regarding the export of donkey skins vary from country to country. While it is legal in some places, it is illegal in others. However, the high demand and prices for skins have fueled the theft of donkeys, and the Donkey Sanctuary has discovered animals being moved across international borders to reach locations where the trade is legal.

Every African state’s government, along with the government of Brazil, is currently considering a ban on the slaughter and export of donkeys in response to shrinking donkey populations. Solomon Onyango, who works for the Donkey Sanctuary and is based in Nairobi, says, “Between 2016 and 2019, we estimate that about half of Kenya’s donkeys were slaughtered [to supply the skin trade]” (Onyango, 2022). These are the same animals that carry people, goods, water, and food – the backbone of poor, rural communities.

The scale and rapid growth of the skin trade have alarmed campaigners and experts, and have moved many people in Kenya to take part in anti-skin trade demonstrations. The proposal for an Africa-wide, indefinite ban is on the agenda at the African Union Summit, where all state leaders meet, on 17 and 18 February.

However, some worry that bans across Africa and in Brazil could simply shift the trade elsewhere. Chinese companies have sought their skin supplies overseas, leading to the establishment of donkey slaughterhouses in parts of Africa, South America, and Asia. In Ethiopia, for instance, one of the country’s two donkey slaughterhouses was closed down in 2017 in response to public protests and social media outcry. Countries including Tanzania and Ivory Coast banned the slaughter and export of donkey skins in 2022, but China’s neighbor Pakistan embraces the trade.

The Ejiao market in China increased in value from about $3.2bn (£2.5bn) in 2013 to about $7.8bn in 2020 (Johnston, 2022). It has become a concern for public health officials, animal welfare campaigners, and even international crime investigators. Research has revealed that shipments of donkey skins are used to traffic other illegal wildlife products. Many are worried that national bans on the trade will push it further underground.

For state leaders, there is the fundamental question: Are donkeys worth more to a developing economy dead or alive? Donkeys are strong, adaptable animals that can go for 24 hours without drinking and can rehydrate quickly. They carry children, women, and goods, and are intrinsic to rural life in many parts of the world. However, they do not breed easily or quickly, and campaigners fear that if the trade is not curtailed, donkey populations will continue to shrink, depriving more of the poorest people of a lifeline and a companion.

Mr. Onyango explains, “We never bred our donkeys for mass slaughter” (Onyango, 2022). Prof. Johnston says, “Donkeys have carried the poor for millennia. They carry children, women. They carried Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus” (Johnston, 2022). Women and girls bear the brunt of the loss when an animal is taken. The irony is that Ejiao is marketed primarily to wealthier Chinese women.

Steve, a 24-year-old man from Kenya, is worried that when he lost his donkeys, he lost control over his life and livelihood. “I’m just stranded now” (Gill, 2022). Working with a local animal welfare charity in Nairobi, the charity Brooke is working to find donkeys for young people like Steve who need them to access work and education.

Janneke Merkx, from the Donkey Sanctuary, says, “The more countries that put legislation in place to protect their donkeys, the more difficult it will get” (Merkx, 2022). She calls for Ejiao companies to stop importing donkey skins altogether and invest in sustainable alternatives, such as cellular agriculture, which can produce collagen in labs. Faith Burden, the Donkey Sanctuary’s deputy chief executive, calls the donkey skin trade “unsustainable and inhumane” (Burden, 2022).

In conclusion, the global trade in donkey skins is a controversial issue that threatens the survival of millions of working donkeys. The demand for Ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine made from donkey skin, has led to the slaughter and export of donkeys on a massive scale. The consequences of this trade are devastating for communities that rely on donkeys, and the trade is often clandestine and illegal. The more countries that put legislation in place to protect their donkeys, the more difficult it will be for the trade to continue. It is important for state leaders to consider the value of donkeys to their communities and to invest in sustainable alternatives to the donkey skin trade.