Chinese Demand For Exotic Cures Has Donkey Population Plunging In South Africa

The rising demand in China for a gelatin called "ejiao," obtained from donkeys, has pushed South Africa's humbler creature population to plunge.

What Happened: According to the Bangkok Post, the depleting population of the donkeys is threatening other businesses that make soaps and creams from its milk.

Jesse Christelis, a co-founder of the Donkey Dairy, told the publication that "in South Africa, we have seen a rapid decline of the donkey population due to illegal slaughter to supply the Chinese skin trade."

Chinese have been long relying on traditional medicines obtained from rhinos and pangolins. However, to ease pressure on rhinos, they have moved towards ejiao – gelatin believed to have similar health benefits such as a blood-thinning and acting as an aphrodisiac.

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University of South Africa's recent study showed the donkey population shrank from 210,000 in 1996 to about 146,000 in 2019. The shrinking population has sent prices soaring. According to Christelis, who owns 116 donkeys at his farm, a donkey that would have fetched about $30 at auction five years ago, now cost about $125.

This is still relatively cheaper compared to donkey hides that sold for $473 in 2018 in China and now sell for $1,160.

The gelatin produced from donkey's skin can sell for up to $360 per kilogram.

South Africa every year exports about 10,500 donkey hides to China, but the real numbers are believed to be much higher as smugglers have tapped into the trade.

Grace De Lange of the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told the publication that "this year, we intercepted two loads of donkeys that were going to Lesotho."

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