12/11/2018

Headline December 12, 2018/ THE DONKEY SANCTUARY


THE DONKEY SANCTUARY




IN KENYA - the net economic value of a working donkey is $2, 300 any beautiful year after year.

DONKEYS ARE ESSENTIAL to tens of millions of farmers in Africa's driest regions, often, very often also the most impoverished and -

And the *skin trade* is threatening to upset rural economies that rely heavily on the animals for  transporting everything from produce and cattle feed.........

WHEN THE IMPOVERISHED West African nation of Niger imposed a ban on donkey-export last year, a small of community of traders just over the border in Nigeria was devastated, totally devastated.

'Before the ban, you could see thousands of donkeys here,'' said Mohammed Sani, a 45-year-old trader in the Nigerian town of Jibiya, as he wiped the sweat of his brow.

''Now look at them there's no more than 50, crippling the business.''

Donkeys are being slaughtered at an alarming pace to feed a global trade in donkey hides that fuelled by soaring demand in China, where the skins are used to manufacture a gelatine believed to have anti-ageing  and libido-enhancing properties.

The gelatine, known in China as e'jiao, is so popular with middle-class consumers that a Chinese product has created a donkey exchange to help companies find enough hides to keep their factories busy.

With its large donkey population and close trade relations with  China, Africa is a key target for donkey buyers. Annual global sales of the cooked gelatine may be worth as much as $2.6 billion, based on the 2014 per kilogramme sales price in China, according to the U.K. based charity, The Donkey Sanctuary.

''The skin trade is really something that just came out of nowhere, and it's the biggest, fastest crisis we've seen,'' said Alex Mayers, a program manager at The Donkey Sanctuary.

''People in poor communities can no longer replace donkeys if they have been stolen or slaughtered because the prices are just too high.''

Like the poaching of Africa's rhinos and elephants, and deforestation caused by largely illicit trade in rosewood timber, the slaughter of donkeys is an unforeseen  consequence of rising Chinese incomes and an expanding middle class.

While the global donkey population is estimated at 44 million, demand is currently thought to be at least 4 million per year. The Donkey Sanctuary.

Donkeys are essential to tens of millions of farmers in Africa's driest regions.

Often also the most impoverished, and the skin trade is threatening to upset rural economies that rely heavily on the animals for transporting everything from produce to cattle feed.

In Kenya, the net economic value of a working donkey is $2,300. 

The Honor and Serving of the latest Global Operational Research on Animals and Donkeys continues.

The World Students Society thanks authors and researchers Mustapha Muhammad, Pauline Bax -Bloomberg The Washington Post Service.

With respectful dedication to all the Animals of the World, all great Lord's creations, and then the Leaders, Parents, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world.

See Ya all prepare for Global Elections and ''register'' on The World Students Society : wssciw.blogspot.com - for every subject in the world and Twitter - !E-WOW! -the Ecosystem 2011:

''' Dotted Lines '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless

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