Officials ban slaughter of millions of animals that are crucial to communities: 'At serious risk'
Donkeys are under threat in Africa, but thanks to a new rule by officials, the species is expected to regain its numbers.
According to The Eastleigh Voice, millions of donkeys are slaughtered in Africa every year, and their population is declining at an alarming rate.
A resolution passed at the 37th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in February 2024 aims to stop this. It installed a 15-year ban on the commercial slaughter of the animal.
Dr. Benezeth Lutege, director of livestock services in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, told The Citizen, "Until 2021, Africa was estimated to have about 53 million donkeys. However, nearly 5.9 million were being slaughtered each year, putting the species at serious risk."
Donkeys are in high demand in Asian markets for their meat and skins, with the latter used in traditional Chinese medicine to help female vitality.
Donkeys are also vital for rural communities. Veterinarian Dr. Charles Bukula, who works for Inades Formation Tanzania, told the Eastleigh Voice, "Donkeys are essential in villages for transporting firewood, water, agricultural produce, and even minerals in mining areas. Without them, rural productivity would suffer."
He added that, in many cases, donkeys are the only method for transporting heavy items. Children are able to attend school because the donkeys take on tasks that they would typically do in communities.
While this is good news for families in rural communities, it's not so good news for the traditional Chinese medicine trade. According to Seej Africa, the skins are made into ejiao, which is a big business.
In 2020, the industry generated $7.43 billion, representing a $2.72 billion increase from 2013. Per Seej Africa, "At the current rate of demand, 6.7 million skins would be needed by 2027 to keep pace."
With the donkey population declining, it would be difficult to maintain that pace. While the skins are the most valuable part of the donkey, slaughtering the animals comes at a cost for local communities.
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According to The Donkey Sanctuary, "Donkey carcasses are often discarded, piled up and left to rot. Runoff from these improperly disposed of corpses pollutes the surrounding air, water, and land."
The polluting of local communities is just one example of how animal agriculture can be harmful to the environment. Beef production is particularly bad because it is responsible for 41% of global deforestation.
Exploring plant-based food options can minimize the amount of animal products that enter the food supply chain by reducing demand.
With efforts like this in Africa, species can rebound. Examples of success can be seen elsewhere. For example, Przewalski's horses were almost hunted to extinction in Mongolia in the 1960s. The process of bringing them back began in the 1970s, and now, there are 1,000 horses in the region.
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