The World Briefly

February 29, 2024

Out of Stock

Africa

Listen to Today's Edition

The African Union (AU) this month implemented a 15-year ban on the slaughter of donkeys for their skins, a move that was welcomed by animal rights groups and could impact China’s lucrative market for the traditional medicine derived from the animal’s hides, the South China Morning Post reported.

The decision, ratified by the heads of state during the 37th ordinary session of the AU Assembly in Ethiopia, follows a proposal put forth by the bloc’s specialized technical committee for agriculture, rural development, water, and environment.

The ban aims to protect Africa’s substantial donkey population, which constitutes about two-thirds of the global total. Ethiopia, with nearly 100 million donkeys, stands out as a key player in the donkey industry.

The decision came amid concerns about the cruelty and unsustainable practices associated with the donkey skin trade, as well as the significant role the animals play in African communities.

Observers noted that the ban will have an impact on China’s production of ejiao, a traditional medicine product once known as “medicine for emperors” and marketed for its alleged health benefits.

To make ejiao, collagen is extracted from the donkey’s skin and mixed with ingredients to create bars, pills and liquids.

But the increased demand for ejiao has led to the depletion of China’s donkey population, prompting reliance on imports from countries, such as Africa and South America.

More than five million donkeys are slaughtered annually to make up for Chinese demands – only two million of those are supplied domestically in China, while the rest are imported.

Animal welfare organizations lauded the AU’s decision, emphasizing the need to protect donkeys from exploitation and safeguard the livelihoods of communities that depend on these animals.

The move is also expected to curb illegal practices such as donkey theft and trafficking, they added.

The ban in Africa adds to a growing global trend against the slaughter of donkeys for their skins.

Tanzania and Ivory Coast have already implemented similar measures, while Brazil is advancing legislation to prohibit donkey and horse slaughter.

Companies producing traditional Chinese medicine have come under scrutiny for using animal parts in their products, including those of endangered species.

In October, the Environmental Investigation Agency UK (EIA), a non-governmental organization, released a report saying that more than 70 companies licensed by China’s drug regulator are using body parts of leopards and pangolins – both endangered species, CNN wrote.

The group added that some firms also sell products that contain parts of tigers and rhinos, in contradiction to “China’s own stated position that it does not allow the use of tiger bone and rhino horn in medicine.”

This story originally appeared in the February 29, 2024 newsletter, The Ghosts of the Sea.