Donkey skins found in house in North West

A man trading in donkey skins has been arrested after a "consignment" was found inside the residential house he was occupying‚ the National Council of SPCAs Farm Animal Protection Unit said on Friday.

The SPCA obtained a warrant to enter the property in Vryburg in the North West province. Together with members from the Vryburg SAPS Stock Theft Unit‚ the NSPCA uncovered approximately 30 donkey skins inside the house.

According to the tenant of the property‚ all the skins that were discovered belonged to him.

"The skins had been purchased from surrounding villages where donkeys had been slaughtered inhumanely and illegally‚ according to information that was obtained from the suspect‚" the animal welfare organisation said.

"According to the tenant‚ this was a small consignment and many others‚ much larger in size‚ had already been sold and shipped off to various customers."

• Farm owner charged over 'inhumane' donkey slaughterCriminal charges have been laid against North West farm owner accused of inhumanely slaughtering donkeys for their skins. 

The donkey skins found at the property have been logged as evidence with the local SAPS and has been removed to a place of safety.

He will be charged under the Meat Safety Act and charges under the Animals Protection Act are being considered.

On January 16 nearly 3‚500 donkeys skins‚ believed to be destined for China‚ were recovered in a warehouse in Benoni on Johannesburg's East Rand.

Shortly after‚ the NSPCA were responsible for a bust in Olifantshoek in the Northern Cape where nearly 500 donkey carcasses were found in a field.

In February‚ Gauteng police found donkey skins on a smallholding in the Brandvlei area near Randfontein‚ valued at around R2.25 million.

• 100 donkey skins found in NSPCA raidThe Excelsior Lion Farm near Tosca in the North West province was today found to be illegally slaughtering donkeys‚ according to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals which secured a warrant to enter the property. 

The Times reported earlier this year that conservationists are concerned "donkeys are becoming like rhino"‚ casting a spotlight on a syndicate operating in the country that exports donkey skins to the Chinese market‚ where the gelatin in the pelts is converted into a product called ejiao‚ which is used in the East for medicinal purposes.

According to herbalremedies360.com‚ donkey gelatin is used for "menopause with irregular menstruation‚ hot flushes‚ mood swings‚ insomnia‚ memory loss‚ dry mouth‚ tinnitus‚ muscle and joint pains symptoms".

Ashley Ness‚ an inspector at the Highveld Horse Care Unit‚ told The Times: "They butcher donkeys very cruelly and inhumanely."