Chinese medicine fueling rise in donkey slaughter for global skin trade.

Chinese medicine fueling rise in donkey slaughter for global skin trade.Demand for hide, used to make traditional ejiao, has raised the price and rate of slaughter of donkeys, endangering the livelihoods of those who rely on them .This trade is threatening livelihoods and communities as thousands of donkeys in developing countries are being killed and their skins sold to China for use in traditional medicine, reveals a report published by the Donkey Sanctuary. The demand for donkey hide, which is boiled to produce gelatine – the key ingredient in a medicine called ejiao – has raised the price and the rate of slaughter of the animals, threatening the livelihoods of poor communities who rely on the them. The emergence of the global trade in donkey hide is attributed to the rise of China’s middle class and increased perception of the medicine’s efficacy. Ejiao can sell for up to £300 per kilo. The Chinese herbal communities believe its a blood builder,effective for blood disorders such as heavy periods ,anaemia and cure of dry cough. According to the report the demand for donkey hide is outstripping supply. Around 1.8m donkey hides are traded per year, while global demand is estimated between 4 to 10m skins. This has raised the price of donkeys in some countries, making them unaffordable for many people who use them to take goods to market, cultivate land, and fetch water.