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**The Hindu: Global Donkey Populations Plummet Amidst Chinese Demand for Traditional Medicine**

**By The Hindu News Service**

**August 20, 2025, 07:00 AM IST**

A surge in demand for Ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine derived from donkey hides, is decimating donkey populations across Africa and South America, according to a recent report by the U.K.-based charity, The Donkey Sanctuary. Nearly 6 million donkeys are slaughtered annually to meet the growing need for the gelatin-based remedy, used in China for its perceived, though scientifically unproven, health benefits like boosting immunity and curing anemia.

China’s own donkey population has collapsed, dropping by 87% from 11 million in 1990 to a mere 1.5 million in 2023. This drastic decline has forced China to import donkey hides from countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, and Brazil, leading to unsustainable pressures on these regions. African countries alone accounted for 51% of China’s equine hide imports over the last decade (2015-2025).

The Donkey Sanctuary estimates that by 2027, China will require 6.8 million donkey hides to produce the projected 18,000 tonnes of Ejiao.

The consequences are dire. Theft of donkeys is rampant, and animals, including foals, pregnant, and injured ones, are transported in appalling conditions to slaughterhouses. This raises concerns about the spread of zoonotic diseases and blatant animal cruelty. Egypt, for example, has seen its donkey population plunge from 3.1 million in the 1990s to just 1 million in the 2020s.

The trade’s impact extends beyond animal welfare. Donkeys are vital for transportation and livelihoods in many vulnerable communities. The theft of donkeys disproportionately affects women and girls, who are often forced to assume the animals’ labor, sometimes leading to girls dropping out of school. The price of donkeys has also skyrocketed, further burdening these communities.

While the African Union imposed a continent-wide ban on donkey exports in 2024, illegal trade persists. The Donkey Sanctuary, along with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) are working to combat this growing crisis and protect the world’s donkey populations.

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