#extinction #donkeys #asstodon
"Kenya’s donkeys on the edge of extinction in growing global skin trade
For millions of Kenyans, especially in the country’s rural areas, the donkey is not merely an animal. It is the uncelebrated engine of rural Kenya, hauling water across parched northern landscapes, ferrying farm produce to village markets, and, in many households, quite literally sustaining daily survival. It is an economic lifeline.
Yet today, this humble beast of burden is facing an existential threat from an international skin trade that animal welfare groups warn could decimate Kenya’s donkey population before the decade ends if enforcement failures and legal loopholes persist.
Once overlooked in national livestock conversations, donkeys have become the target of a lucrative billion-shilling black market driven largely by demand for ejiao, a gelatin derived from donkey skins used in traditional Chinese medicine, cosmetics, and health products.
Animal welfare advocates now fear Kenya’s donkeys may be edging toward a silent extinction.
'Communities, especially in rural areas, rely heavily on donkeys for labour and transport. Entire rural economies are supported by these animals,' said Elijah Mithigi, Brooke East Africa’s Regional Programs Manager. 'But weak enforcement and inadequate laws continue to leave these animals dangerously exposed.'
Reports by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and other livestock stakeholders indicated that Kenya’s donkey population had fallen from approximately 1.8 million in 2009 to between 1 million and 1.17 million by 2019. The decline was largely attributed to the rapid growth of the donkey hide trade, increased slaughter, theft, and illegal trafficking driven by international demand for donkey skins used in the production of ejiao in Asia
Kenya’s donkey skin trade exploded after China’s own donkey population sharply declined, pushing traders to Africa in search of hides. Africa, with its large working donkey populations and relatively weak regulatory frameworks, became a prime target."
https://nation.africa/kenya/brand-book/kenya-s-donkeys-on-the-edge-of-extinction-in-growing-global-skin-trade-5451708
Levka
npub1x7…3emr8
2026-08-23 21:13:21 UTC
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"content": "#extinction #donkeys #asstodon\n\n\"Kenya’s donkeys on the edge of extinction in growing global skin trade\n\nFor millions of Kenyans, especially in the country’s rural areas, the donkey is not merely an animal. It is the uncelebrated engine of rural Kenya, hauling water across parched northern landscapes, ferrying farm produce to village markets, and, in many households, quite literally sustaining daily survival. It is an economic lifeline.\n\nYet today, this humble beast of burden is facing an existential threat from an international skin trade that animal welfare groups warn could decimate Kenya’s donkey population before the decade ends if enforcement failures and legal loopholes persist.\n\nOnce overlooked in national livestock conversations, donkeys have become the target of a lucrative billion-shilling black market driven largely by demand for ejiao, a gelatin derived from donkey skins used in traditional Chinese medicine, cosmetics, and health products.\n\nAnimal welfare advocates now fear Kenya’s donkeys may be edging toward a silent extinction.\n\n'Communities, especially in rural areas, rely heavily on donkeys for labour and transport. Entire rural economies are supported by these animals,' said Elijah Mithigi, Brooke East Africa’s Regional Programs Manager. 'But weak enforcement and inadequate laws continue to leave these animals dangerously exposed.'\n\nReports by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and other livestock stakeholders indicated that Kenya’s donkey population had fallen from approximately 1.8 million in 2009 to between 1 million and 1.17 million by 2019. The decline was largely attributed to the rapid growth of the donkey hide trade, increased slaughter, theft, and illegal trafficking driven by international demand for donkey skins used in the production of ejiao in Asia\n\nKenya’s donkey skin trade exploded after China’s own donkey population sharply declined, pushing traders to Africa in search of hides. Africa, with its large working donkey populations and relatively weak regulatory frameworks, became a prime target.\"\n\nhttps://nation.africa/kenya/brand-book/kenya-s-donkeys-on-the-edge-of-extinction-in-growing-global-skin-trade-5451708",
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