Letters | Donkeys slaughtered for their skin is a tragedy on multiple levels
Readers discuss the illicit trade’s damage to animal, human and environmental well-being, and how the city can have both halal and pet-friendly restaurants
The donkey skin trade is a multibillion-dollar industry that has transformed donkeys into commodities and subjected them to immense suffering. At least 5.9 million donkeys are slaughtered each year, frequently transported and killed in horrific conditions with no regard for their welfare.
When donkeys are stolen, so too are rural livelihoods and human dignity.
Donkeys are a lifeline in some of the most challenging places on Earth. The traction they provide in transporting children to school and goods to market means they are pivotal in accelerating poverty reduction, increasing household productivity and keeping children in school, particularly girls. They are critical in the face of disaster – in rescue, relief and recovery, moving critical resources such as food, water and medicine and helping to rebuild after loss of infrastructure. This affects the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly on the issues of poverty reduction and gender equality.
The global trade in skins also gives rise to a constellation of public health and environmental concerns. At The Donkey Sanctuary, we have commissioned research that reveals donkey skins pose a significant biosecurity risk. After testing 108 donkey skins from a Kenyan slaughterhouse, 88 tested positive for Staphylococcus aureus, 44 of which were confirmed as the methicillin-resistant (MRSA) variant – a highly virulent strain.
As the seizure in Hong Kong shows, the trade is also linked to the convergence of wider illegal crime activity including illicit trafficking of endangered wildlife.