The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) on Monday made an urgent appeal for information about donkeys being the “latest victims of the trade in animal parts ‘for medicinal purposes’ to the Far East”.
It cited a case in which “42 donkeys were stolen in the North West province village of Mmaku” where the “Asian owner of the property where the bodies of the donkeys were found has admitted to stealing the donkeys‚ slaughtering and skinning them and claiming that ‘they make good medicine’ ”.
Another saw the Bloemfontein SPCA investigating the case of “70 sick‚ weak and emaciated donkeys on a plot outside the city” whose owner “stated that he was only interested in the skins to export to China”.
“According to workers‚ the donkeys had been on the property for two weeks without food or water. Some had aborted and dead foetuses were found on the ground‚” the NSPCA said in a statement. “The donkeys were humanely euthanased and criminal charges in terms of the Animals Protection Act have been laid.”
The statement said that “donkey hide contains a gelatine which is claimed to be valued for medicinal purposes…having anti-aging properties‚ able to treat insomnia and improving blood circulation”.
“The gelatine is a key ingredient in China's ejiao industry‚ which produces tablets‚ tonics and a sweet syrup‚” it added. “The skins are soaked and stewed to produce or release this substance.
“This issue is international and syndicated. Police raids in Botswana and Zimbabwe confirm links with this trade to China and Hong Kong.”
Any information forwarded to nspca@nspca.co.za will remain confidential.
“You may remain anonymous but the more information you are able to give‚ the more helpful it will be in tracking down and bringing to justice those involved in this despicable‚ horrendous and cruel trade‚” the NSPCA said.
- TMG Digital
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