'Brutal' donkey skin trade banned by the African Union - BBC News

Animal welfare charities welcome the African Union decision to ban the donkey skin trade across the continent.

5 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, The Donkey SanctuaryImage caption, Campaigners against the skin trade say it is inhumane and unsustainableBy Victoria GillScience correspondent, BBC NewsAnimal welfare charities have welcomed an Africa-wide ban on the controversial donkey skin trade.

It will make it illegal to slaughter donkeys for their skin across the continent.

Demand for the animals' skins is fuelled by the popularity of an ancient Chinese medicine called Ejiao, traditionally made from donkey hides.

African state leaders approved the ban at the conclusion of the African Union summit in Ethiopia on Sunday.

The charity, the Donkey Sanctuary, called the the trade "brutal and unsustainable" and said it had decimated donkey populations around the world, particularly in Africa and South America.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68335851

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