Every year, millions of donkeys are subjected to the cruel practice of skinning, primarily driven by the demand for the extraction of collagen, which is then used to produce ejiao or E-glue—a gelatin used in traditional Chinese medicine, cosmetics, health supplements, and food.

The use of donkey hide glue has been recorded as a Chinese pharmaceutical since 200C.E. With the institutionalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the 1950's, and the commercialization and expansion to global markets in the 2000's, the production of ejiao gained popularity. Once the largest in the world, China's donkey population plummeted from 12.7 million in 1954, to 6.03 million donkeys in 2013. The unsustainable demand for donkey hide, currently requires 4.8 million skins per year (*).  As a result, the donkey populations in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Pakistan have also plummeted severely due to the global donkey skin trade demand.
 

The donkey skin trade is a cruel and inhumane industry that must be brought to an end. Donkeys are often subjected to horrific abuse, including severe beatings, being skinned while still alive, and being left to die in immense suffering. Their hides are then sold on the black market for use in traditional Chinese medicine.
 

Kill pens are a significant source of donkeys for this trade. These facilities are frequently overcrowded, unsanitary, and lack even the most basic standards of care. Donkeys are commonly deprived of adequate food and water and are often subjected to repeated abuse and neglect before they are killed.

If the current donkey slaughter continues, the impact on their global population will be devastating along with the livelihoods on many global communities that depend on these gentle and affectionate animals to survive.