New warnings have been issued by the World Veterinary Association in recent days due to concerns about the potential extinction of donkeys in Africa. This threat arises from the increasing demand for the trade of donkey skins for export to Chinese pharmaceutical and cosmetic markets. The rate of illegal trade in donkey skins has increased from 3 to 3.5 million skins annually.
This is not the first warning of its kind; in November 2019, the British organization known as "The Donkey Sanctuary" released reports cautioning about the possible disappearance of half of the world’s donkeys within five years, citing that millions are slaughtered each year due to the Chinese demand for approximately 4.8 million donkeys annually to satisfy the requirements of traditional Chinese medicine, which relies on a substance known as "gelatin" found in their skins, believed to improve blood circulation and treat anemia, according to the British newspaper "The Guardian."
According to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Watan, former head of the Egyptian veterinarians, Dr. Sami Tah, stated that there is a concept of ecological balance that includes the presence of animals, birds, insects, and donkeys as part of the system. He noted that this animal, estimated to number around 1.8 million in Egypt, plays an essential role in the economic system for Egyptian farmers, as its feeding costs are much lower than the fuel consumed by "tuk-tuks," which some groups are trying to rely on as an alternative to donkeys. This indicates that economic development, along with the mechanization of transport and agriculture, significantly impacts donkey populations.
The former veterinarian head added that around ten years ago, the demand from China for importing donkey skins from Egypt for their medical research increased. Therefore, there is urgent concern about the potential extinction of this animal, especially given the improper use of meat if skins are discarded and slaughtered in large quantities. He urged the Ministry of Agriculture to halt export approvals to preserve ecological balance.
