Six million donkeys slaughtered for Chinese medicine: Charity
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
Almost six million donkeys are slaughtered annually for Chinese medicine , with severe knock-on effects for African villagers who rely on the animals, a UK-based charity said on Thursday.It is driven by an increase in China's production of ejiao -- a product marketed as a health supplement that uses collagen from donkey skins -- which is a $6.8-billion industry, according to China-based research firm Qianzhan.China, whose donkey population has plummeted from 11 million in 1992 to 1.5 million in 2023, has turned to Africa to meet its demand.With donkey populations falling, the African Union issued a 15-year moratorium on donkey slaughter last year.UK-based charity The Donkey Sanctuary said "the ejiao industry drives a massive global trade in donkey skins, much of it illegal".It said around 5.9 million donkeys were killed worldwide last year.The ejiao trade is expected to require at least 6.8 million donkey skins by 2027.The rising value of donkeys means they have increasingly become targets for criminals."Traders exploit vulnerable people using large and sophisticated networks of agents to pressure donkey owners into selling their animals," the charity said."Illegal networks operate across the continent, often without consequence, stealing and slaughtering donkeys in the night," it added."Donkeys die in often unregulated, inhumane, and unsanitary conditions, and large numbers perish on their way to slaughterhouses," it continued.The impact on humans is particularly felt by women and children, who rely on donkeys for farming activities such as ploughing and for carrying goods to market.The criminal operations also generated health risks, The Donkey Sanctuary said."The transportation of untreated skins and improper disposal of donkey carcasses risk triggering the spread of infectious diseases and damaging local ecosystems."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Award for city doc
Lucknow-based physician Dr Pulkit Mehrotra will be honoured with the Young Investigator Award at the World Congress of Gastroenterology 2025, to be held as part of Australia Gastroenterology Week. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A resident doctor at Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai, Dr Pulkit's research, which explores overlooked liver disease in high-risk populations, was chosen from hundreds of international submissions. "It's a big moment for me and my mentors," said Dr Mehrotra.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Lawyer duo from Kerala earns recognition for anti-drug awareness campaign during pan-India road trip
Kochi: When Kochi-based lawyers Binu Varghese, 58, and Nijas Thamarassery, 28, set out on a mission to travel across India spreading awareness against drug abuse, they had no idea their initiative would carve a place in Worldwide Book of Records. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now What began as a grassroots effort to combat rising drug abuse in their own neighbourhoods evolved into Bharath Darshan Yatra — a two-phase road trip that spanned international borders, stirred public dialogue and touched countless young lives. Driven by a shared concern over increasing drug-related incidents in Kerala, the duo began their odyssey with Himalayan Challenge from Aug 16 to Sept 8, 2023. In 24 days, they traversed 9,145km across high-altitude terrain and harsh weather. The second phase, Northeastern Challenge, lasted from March 2 to April 27, 2025, covering 14,196km in 56 days through India's northeastern states and remote border regions adjoining Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Bangladesh. What makes their journey more than just a record-breaking feat is its purpose. They engaged directly with schools, youth groups and local communities along their route, delivering awareness sessions using modules approved by narcotics control bureau. "In most places, local organizations and educational institutions eagerly joined hands with us to take our message to young minds," said Nijas. Their travel unearthed disturbing insights into drug use patterns in various states. In Nagaland, for instance, they discovered widespread use of substances not yet listed under NDPS Act, making legal intervention difficult. "We found that enforcement is affected not because of inaction, but because of legislative gaps," Varghese noted. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Despite facing criticism and scepticism early on, their recognition by Worldwide Book of Records validated their efforts. They say their journey isn't over but only evolving into a continued campaign to build a drug-aware and resilient society.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Doon residents demand urgent tree health survey after three die by tree collapse
Dehradun: At least three people lost their lives in the state capital this pre-monsoon season due to incidents of trees collapsing, despite environmental activists urging authorities for nearly a decade to conduct a comprehensive survey and health assessment of Dehradun's trees. "Last year, we learned that the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation had engaged the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in 2013 to conduct a tree census and health survey within their municipality limits. In June, we met the then municipal commissioner in Dehradun and proposed a similar initiative here," said Sanjeev Srivastava, eco-activist and member of Dehradun-based environmental organisation Citizens for Green Doon. Following appeals from environmentalists, the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) wrote to FRI in Aug last year, seeking a survey like Chandigarh's. Documents accessed by TOI, reveal that Chandigarh municipality had allocated Rs 44 lakh for their tree health survey. "FRI asked the corporation to provide details of areas requiring the survey so they could prepare a cost estimate. However, there's been no progress in the past year, and the project was never handed over to new officers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These £39.90 Sandals Are Selling Out in Porthcawl Today wellnesstodayonline Buy Now Undo The callousness on the part of civic agencies is baffling. They don't act on time, and when unfortunate accidents happen, authorities often use it as an excuse to fell trees indiscriminately. Had a scientific health check been conducted, these incidents might have been prevented. We have FRI's services available right here in the city, yet it's not being utilised," said Srivastava. Environmentalists have renewed calls for a scientific tree health assessment. They also blame the concretisation around tree bases for weakening their stability. Meanwhile, DMC officials said they have written to the Chandigarh corporation to understand the details of their agreement with FRI. "We are also in talks with FRI to conduct this exercise pro bono, and we have a meeting scheduled with them in the first week of July," said municipal commissioner Namami Bansal.
