rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/sign-now-end-south-africas-cruel-donkey-skin-trade?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-sign-now-end-south-africas-cruel-donkey-skin-trade' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Animal Welfare Investigations Project https://actionnetwork.org/groups/awip https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/790/205/normal/WAM34720.jpg Millions of donkeys are slaughtered every year for their skins, which are boiled down to produce ejiao, an ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine. From capture and transport to slaughter, these gentle animals can endure overcrowding, injury, thirst, exhaustion and brutal killing methods. In February 2024, the African Union approved a landmark 15-year moratorium on the commercial slaughter of donkeys for their skins. Yet South Africa has failed to fully embrace this vital protection, instead adopting a “controlled export model” that reportedly allows as many as 10,500 donkeys to be legally slaughtered each year. China’s domestic donkey population has collapsed, driving the ejiao industry to source donkey skins through a vast international trade. With millions of skins required each year, donkeys are treated as disposable commodities and forced through a supply chain marked by neglect, cruelty and suffering. Many donkeys are transported long distances in overcrowded vehicles without adequate food, water or rest. Some die before reaching slaughterhouses, while others are killed in unregulated, inhumane and unsanitary conditions. South Africa must honour the spirit of the African Union’s moratorium and introduce a complete national ban on the slaughter and export of donkeys for the skin trade. Please sign now and demand an end to this cruel and destructive industry. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-now-end-south-africas-cruel-donkey-skin-trade