In February last year, African Heads of State and Governments endorsed a continent-wide moratorium on the slaughter of donkeys for their skins at the 37th African Union Summit. The agreement was made in recognition of animal welfare concerns and the vital role donkeys play in supporting communities and economies across Africa.
Millions of donkeys are killed for their skins each year, with the vast majority of skins exported across the world by sea and used to make traditional medicines and remedies. Restricting the international movement of donkey skins will help protect dwindling donkey populations in parts of the world where communities rely on donkeys for their livelihoods
The inhumane and unsustainable trade in donkey skins acts as a trojan horse for illegal wildlife trafficking and organized crime, and poses a serious threat to global biosecurity and the risk of zoonotic disease.
