Ejiao is made using the gelatin from donkey hides and is sold as a traditional Chinese medicine. Demand for the product is so strong, rural donkeys in Africa and Asia are often stolen and brutally killed, and the communities that relied on them are left without their sole means of survival.
A staggering 1.8 million skins were traded for ejiao in 2017 out of a global donkey population of only 44 million. Examining current trends, it is feared that 4–10 million donkeys may die each year for the industry with most consumers unaware of the cruelty involved.
Together with a partner in China, HSI surveyed and educated consumers of ejiao about the animal welfare, health and environmental consequences that surround the donkey skin trade.
Promise for a win-win solution for dingo protection and donkey welfare, written by HSI wildlife campaigner Dr. Louise Boronyak. When people talk of livestock guardian animals, donkeys are not what usually springs to mind….
Earlier this month the 8th May marked ‘World Donkey Day’, but sadly we had little to celebrate. Donkey populations have been plummeting around the world due to the demand for their skins reaching record…
Donkeys are known by many to be a placid, good natured animal often used as working animals in lesser developed countries. Their placid demeanor is usually as a result of fatigue and generations…
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