China

Written by John Dow on January 20, 2024

Dogs are rounded up or stolen from homes for the annual dog meat "festival"

Did you know that the Chinese slow-kill animals for “better flavor.” In some cases animals are served at the meal still alive and wriggling on the plate.

Donkies

In China, a traditional medicinal remedy that is made with the gelatin in donkey skin is in high demand. It is called Ejiao. It is believed to have health-enhancing and youth-preserving properties.

Donkey skins are boiled down to extract the gelatin, which is made into powder, pills or liquid, or is added to food. Campaigners against the trade say that people who depend on donkeys to make a living - as well as the donkeys themselves - are victims of an unsustainable demand for Ejiao’s traditional ingredient.

In a recent report, the Donkey Sanctuary, which has campaigned against the trade since 2017, estimates that globally at least 5.9 million donkeys are slaughtered every year to supply it. And the charity says that demand is growing, although the BBC was unable to independently verify those figures.

It’s difficult to get an accurate picture of exactly how many donkeys are killed to supply the Ejiao industry. In any case, the donkey is one of the few animals killed specifically for its skin only, not its flesh.