Exposing the global donkey skin trade
THE PROJECT
Exposing the harm that the donkey skin trade causes to donkeys, people and the environment.
The Donkey Sanctuary is a global animal welfare organisation working to improve the lives of donkeys worldwide. Through advocacy, research, and direct care, they work to protect donkeys from cruelty and exploitation, including through the global trade in donkey skins. As long-standing partners, we are committed to exposing, and ending, the harm this trade causes to donkeys, people and the environment.
THE CHALLENGE
Millions of donkeys are slaughtered each year for their skins to produce a Traditional Chinese Medicine product known as ejiao. The trade causes widespread suffering and has devastating consequences for communities that rely on donkeys for transport, farming and income. This is particularly true women and children in Africa, where donkeys often represent the difference between destitution and survival. Beyond the ethical and economic concerns, the trade in donkey skins also poses serious biosecurity threats and has been linked to wildlife trafficking. Despite the scale and severity of the issue, it remained largely hidden from global attention.
THE SOLUTION
To expose the harm caused by the trade, The Donkey Sanctuary commissioned and co-wrote a series of in-depth investigative reports with Agency International’s principal, Emily Reeves.
The first, Under the Skin, exposed the global scale of the donkey skin trade. The 2019 report was translated into 8 languages and remains a seminal report about the industry.
This was followed by the Donkeys in Global Trade series:
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A ticking time bomb: Biosecurity risks and implications for human and animal health on a global scale uncovered biosecurity risks threatening both human and animal health.
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The donkey skin trade as a trojan horse for wildlife trafficking revealed the scale of the illegal online donkey skin trade and uncovered how organised crime is facilitating the trafficking of donkey skins and wildlife products.
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Stolen donkeys, stolen futures: The impact of ejiao on African women and children documented the emotional, physical, economic and opportunity costs borne by women and children in African communities.
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Donkeys in Global Trade: Wildlife crime, welfare, biosecurity and the impact on women provided an integrated account of the impacts covered in the series.
Reports were co-authored by Emily Reeves and staff from The Donkey Sanctuary, with design and dissemination led by The Donkey Sanctuary team.
THE RESULTS
The reports were published and promoted by The Donkey Sanctuary and resulted in significant exposure and impact:
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They generated hundreds of media stories across major international outlets, bringing the hidden trade to public attention.
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They became powerful advocacy tools, used by The Donkey Sanctuary to engage national policy-makers in countries exporting donkeys.
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The evidence presented influenced policy discussions, bans and regulatory action in several regions.
The reports helped shift the narrative from a little-known animal welfare issue to a recognised crisis with far-reaching consequences — for animals, people, and global public health.
