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+--- Thread: Article Over 6 MILLION donkeys killed each year for Chinese 'miracle' serum (bogus pharma) (/thread-19025.html)
Over 6 MILLION donkeys killed each year for Chinese 'miracle' serum (bogus pharma) - C C - Oct 22, 2025
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15216167/Millions-donkeys-slaughtered-Chinese-medicine.html
EXCERPTS: Over six million donkeys are brutally slaughtered every year to make a Chinese youth serum, a charity has warned. The animals are killed for their hides, which are boiled down to make 'ejiao' - a gelatine-like substance traditionally believed to help prevent the effects of ageing.
Donkeys are often stolen for families who rely on them for their livelihoods, walked to exhaustion, and then bludgeoned with clubs before having their throats slit. Their hides are then stripped and shipped to China, where ejiao is produced on an industrial scale before being sold legally on platforms like Amazon and Etsy.
In a new documentary, titled 'From Skin to Skincare’, the animal charity Brooke and Dr Scott Miller of This Morning warn that the trade could wipe out Africa's donkey population.
Dr Miller said: 'Despite knowing the horrors of the donkey skin trade before visiting the Brooke teams in Africa, I was not prepared for what I witnessed. 'Stepping over the skulls of donkeys who had been beaten to death is something I will never forget.'
The donkeys are slaughtered in Africa under inhumane conditions before being shipped to China, where their skins are boiled to produce a gelatin-like substance used in traditional medicine and skin care. Ejiao is a traditional Chinese medicine which has been produced for over 2,000 years as an alleged cure for anaemia, insomnia, dizziness, and even cancer.
While it had historically been considered a luxury product, available only to the extremely rich, China's rapidly growing middle class has driven a massive increase in demand. According to some reports, the Chinese market for ejiao grew from $3.2 billion (£2.4 billion) in 2013 to $7.8 billion (£5.8 billion) in 2021.
Despite the African Union making it illegal to slaughter donkeys for their skin in 2024, the illegal trade has continued to kill millions of donkeys for ejiao production. These animals are often kept in appalling conditions prior to their deaths, which are frequently highly inhumane.
Speaking in Brooke's upcoming documentary, one man involved in the illegal trade said that the animals were bludgeoned with axes to stun them before cutting their throats.
[...] As the demand for ejiao continues to climb, critically endangered African wild donkeys are increasingly being smuggled alongside domestic animals. This puts the wild donkeys at a growing risk of extinction and promotes the spread of zoonotic diseases across international borders... (MORE - details)
RE: Over 6 MILLION donkeys killed each year for Chinese 'miracle' serum (bogus pharma) - Zinjanthropos - Oct 23, 2025
For cosmetics, perfume and makeup in China you don’t need a farm. Remember my sister telling me about something she either witnessed or heard about while in China.
https://www.animalsasia.org/key-issues/bear-bile-farming/
Could we do without?
FDA-approved medicines with animal-derived ingredients. Not good if you’re a pig.
Heparin: This blood thinner, used to prevent and treat blood clots, is derived from the intestinal mucosa of pigs.
Desiccated thyroid extract: Used to treat hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), this hormone therapy is sourced from the thyroid glands of pigs.
Conjugated estrogens (Premarin): This hormone replacement therapy was originally sourced from the urine of pregnant mares, from which it gets its name (PREgnant MARE's urINe). It can also be produced synthetically.
Pancrelipase: This enzyme supplement, which helps those with pancreatic insufficiency, is derived from the pancreas of pigs.
Insulin: For decades, insulin was sourced from the pancreases of cattle and pigs. While synthetic human insulin is now the standard in the U.S., animal insulin is still used in some other countries.
Venom-based medications: Some drugs for conditions like thrombosis and high blood pressure were originally developed from snake venoms. For example, captopril, a blood pressure medication, was inspired by venom from the pit viper.
Gelatin: Sourced from the skin, bones, and connective tissue of pigs and cattle, gelatin is a common inactive ingredient used to make gel capsules.
Lactose: This sugar, derived from cow's milk, is frequently used as a binder or filler in tablet medications.
Vaccines: Ingredients derived from animal byproducts, such as cow plasma or chicken eggs, are sometimes used in the manufacturing process of vaccines.