Donkey Skin Trade and Welfare Crisis

Global demand for ejiao, a traditional medicine made from donkey hides, has created an international welfare crisis affecting millions of animals.

Key Facts

An estimated 4.8 million donkey hides are needed annually for ejiao production
Donkeys are often transported thousands of kilometres under poor conditions
Many donkeys are seized from working communities in Africa and Latin America
The global donkey population has declined significantly due to trade pressure
Slaughter conditions in many source countries lack welfare protections

Welfare Considerations

Donkeys in the ejiao trade face cascading welfare failures. Those seized or purchased from working communities lose familiar handlers and environments. Long-distance transport across borders involves crowding, heat, dehydration, and injuries. Slaughter in unregulated facilities is often inhumane. Beyond individual suffering, communities dependent on working donkeys lose their primary draft animal, pushing humans deeper into poverty — demonstrating how animal welfare and human welfare are often intertwined.

What You Can Do

Avoid products containing ejiao or ingredients derived from donkey hides
Support organisations opposing the donkey skin trade
Raise awareness about how ejiao production affects working animal communities
Urge governments to ban donkey hide imports