The world’s largest equine charity, The Donkey Sanctuary, has welcomed moves by the Nigerian government toward an outright ban on the slaughter of donkeys as well as the export of their skins. Ian Cawsey, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “Nigeria joins other countries, which are seeing the catastrophic effect of the donkey skin trade, in taking action to protect their national herds. “However, it is important that government actions follow scientific research in order to provide a safe and sustainable solution. Arguments on developing a regulated donkey farming solution may sound seductive but in reality, the science shows this is not going to be a viable way forward given the many difficulties of donkey farming and the low numbers breeding would produce. However, their value as a commodity has increased in recent decades with the rising popularity of a traditional Chinese remedy called ejiao, the main ingredient of which is collagen from a donkey’s skin.

Source: Nigerian Tribune August 02, 2022 22:11 UTC