Robbers are stealing donkeys in China! The number is continuously decreasing, where are the donkeys going?

There has been a rapid decline in the population of donkeys in China. The biggest reason behind this involves killing them mercilessly and then selling their skins. The rapid decline in the population of donkeys in China can be gauged from the fact that in the last seven years their number has come down from 8 lakhs to 4 lakhs. Most of the donkeys in China are reared in Turkana County. Most of the killed are also going here. Donkey keepers have to say that in order to sell the animal’s skin, they are first stolen and they are brutally killed and skinned. Later this skin would be sold. Their skin is in demand in China because it is used in traditional medicine. Official figures from the county’s animal department show that Turkana, home to 30 per cent of the country’s donkey population, has seen a sharp decline in the number of animals. In 2016, where their number was 8 lakhs, at present they have come down to 4 lakhs.

Bandits steal donkeys at night

Albert Naida, chairman of Kenya’s Association of Canoe Owners Turkana Chapter, says that there is a breed of bandits to steal and kill donkeys. Those who first steal them and cut their throats and take out the skin below the neck and leave the rest to be eaten by vultures and hyenas. According to Albert, a whole syndicate works behind this, which supplies skins to the slaughterhouses located on the outskirts of the city.

However, action has also been taken against many slaughterhouses by the government and orders have also been given to close them. Donkey skins are collected in warehouses built at slaughterhouses and then later transported out of the county. The work of stealing donkeys is done at night when everyone is asleep.