Niger bans the export of donkeys after Asian demand

Source: BBC

Niger has banned the export of donkeys, warning that a three-fold increase in trade, mainly to Asian countries, is threatening its donkey population.

"If the export continues the animals will be decimated," a government official has told the BBC.

China imports many donkey hides, using the gelatin in medicinal tonics, aphrodisiacs and anti-ageing creams.

In August, neighbouring Burkina Faso banned the export of donkey skins on similar grounds.

"About 80,000 donkeys have been exported so far this year compared to 27,000 last year," Atte Issa, at Niger's livestock ministry, said.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37286811

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Donkey-hide gelatin
Source: Wikipedia

Donkey-hide gelatin or ass-hide glue (Latin: colla corii asini) is gelatin obtained from the skin of the donkey (equus asinus) by soaking and stewing. It is used as an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine,[1][2] where it is called ejiao (simplified Chinese: 阿胶; traditional Chinese: 阿膠; pinyin: ē jiāo).

The gelatin is produced in several coastal provinces of China: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong. Shandong's Dong'e County was where "ejiao" got its name.

A slab of donkey-hide gelatin


Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey-hide_gelatin