A TICKING TIME BOMB TH E GLOBAL TR ADE IN DON KE Y SKINS: THE DONKEY SKIN TR ADE AS A TROJAN HORSE FOR WILDLIFE TR AFFICKING
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
REPORT 1 T H E G LO B A L T R A D E I N D O N K E Y S K I N S: A TICKING TIME BOMB T H E D O N K E Y S K I N T R A D E A S A T R OJA N H O R S E FO R W I L D L I F E T R A F F I C K I N G WAR N I N G T H I S R E P O R T C O N TA I N S G R A P H I C I M A G E S W H I C H S O M E R E A D E R S M AY F I N D D I S T R E S S I N G
Cover image: Donkeys awaiting slaughter, Kenya.
CONTENTS
4 Foreword: united for wildlife
6 Introduction
8 The global trade in donkey skins
10 The donkey skin trade: a trojan horse
for wildlife trafficking
12 Donkey skin seizure reports
14 Online trading: donkey skins and
wildlife products sold together
20 Global traders map
23 Case study: Kenya
26 Global shipping: donkey skins and
wildlife products shipped together
32 Case studies: notable seizures
34 Focus on Colombia
Donkey in slaughterhouse holding pen, Tanzania. 36 Focus on South Africa
42 Implications for online trading platforms
AC K N OW L E D G E M E N T S and the global shipping industry
44 Conclusion
The Donkey Sanctuary offers sincere thanks to its network of friends, partners
and colleagues around the world who contributed information and advice during 46 Recommendations
the preparation of this report, including the Wildlife Conservation Research
Unit (WildCRU) and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, United for 48 References
Wildlife, Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism, Focused Conservation,
Advocates for Animals, Wildlife Justice Commission and Monitor Conservation
Research Society.
We are very grateful to The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Global for
generously supporting this work.
Many others have contributed but cannot be named to protect their identities.
Simon Pope, Emily Reeves and Janneke Merkx, The Donkey Sanctuary.
All images are © The Donkey Sanctuary unless otherwise stated.
Copyright ©2022 The Donkey Sanctuary.
2 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 3
FO R E WO R D :
U N I T E D FO R W I L D L I F E
The illegal wildlife trade is a serious transnational
organised crime. It is also a significant financial
crime. Worldwide, for every wildlife product
trafficked illegally, money changes hands –
from online marketplaces to cross-border wire
transfers. At United for Wildlife, our mission is to
bring together relevant and leading players from
the public, private and not-for-profit sectors to
combat this heinous crime and save protected
species from extinction. AFRICOM CTF is using the analysis provided
by The Donkey Sanctuary confluent with law
enforcement information on illegal wildlife trade
This report by The Donkey Sanctuary shines a light on an
networks throughout the area of responsibility
overlooked aspect of the illegal wildlife trade. It reveals how the
(AOR) in an effort to map and identity individuals,
trade channel has been co-opted by wildlife traffickers as a vehicle
networks, and other witting malign actors
for their illegal activities. It shows how so-called business-to-
while also providing case support to assist with
business online sites and even social media are acting as platforms
potential US Government law enforcement
on which illegal wildlife items are being openly sold alongside
finishes. The Donkey Sanctuary has provided
donkey skins.
significant support and their efforts have
quickly become a vital piece for our strategic
United for Wildlife and The Donkey Sanctuary have much
understanding of illicit networks. Specifically,
common ground in the fight against wildlife crime,. By working
analysis by The Donkey Sanctuary has advanced
together, they have highlighted the hidden associations with
the defence enterprise’s knowledge on the illegal
criminality that now stain the donkey skin trade.
aspects of the trade (and other illicit activities)
that occur via business-to-business marketplaces
Through collaboration like this, informed by innovative research
while identifying global retailers and online
and evidence gathering, we hope to raise awareness and ultimately
trading platforms, in addition to addressing
eradicate the unsustainable, dangerous and illegal trade in donkeys
concerns associated with the shipping industry
and wildlife.
in countries that have introduced bans on the
export of donkey skins. This is of particular
interest as donkey skins are often being traded
and shipped with other illegal wildlife items.
DAVID FEIN
CHAIR OF THE UNITED FOR WILDLIFE
FINANCIAL TASKFORCE
Stack of wet salted donkey skins.
4 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 5
INTRODUCTION
The Donkey Sanctuary’s Under the Skin Far more can, and needs to, be done to stop
reports,1,2 lifted the lid on the vast reach the international trade in donkey skins, and
and impact of the global donkey skin trade, to penalise those that operate outside of the
demonstrating the harm done, not just to the law. But while the trade remains legal in some
donkeys themselves but also to the millions of countries and illegal in others, there will always
people who depend on them for a livelihood. This be traders that exploit inherent enforcement
opportunistic and extractive trade has operated challenges, to the detriment of donkeys.
under the radar of enforcement bodies for many This report does more than expose the extent
years, causing immense suffering, depleting to which national laws are ignored - it uncovers
national donkey populations and depriving local a convergence of criminality, revealing the role
communities of a precious resource. Despite that the international trade in donkey skins
the immeasurable impact on donkey welfare plays in facilitating wildlife trafficking and its
and donkey-dependent communities, donkey connections to drug trafficking, e-commerce
skin traders and the ejiao producers who drive fraud and other illicit activity. Selling illegal
the global trade in donkey skins operate largely wildlife products alongside donkey skins enables
without consequence. traders to use a legally complex trade to mask an
entirely illegal one – using the donkey skin trade
as a Trojan horse.
Selling illegal wildlife
products alongside donkey At a time when the world continues to suffer the
impacts of Covid-19, and when governments are
skins enables traders to use a increasingly recognising the links between animal
legally complex trade to mask an health and welfare and the health of people Pile of donkey carcasses and carrion birds.
and the environment, a concept known as ‘One
entirely illegal one Welfare,’ the donkey skin trade operates largely
unabated. Some of the world’s most dangerous
In an effort to protect their national donkey diseases in humans are linked to animals - for
populations and the communities that rely example, MERS, SARS and now Covid-19 -
on them, many countries have subsequently making the vast scale of the global trade in
prohibited the export of donkey skins, donkeys and donkey products, alongside wildlife
either directly, or through delicencing of and wildlife products, a ticking time bomb.
slaughterhouse facilities. The trade continues,
despite this, often in open defiance of national Action is urgently needed to recognise and address
laws and without adherence to international the risks and halt the trade. In this, the ejiao
and national biosecurity protocols designed to industry, global shipping industry, online trading
prevent the spread of disease. Traders are highly platforms, law enforcement agencies and national
opportunistic and, when it becomes difficult to governments all have a critical role to play.
source donkeys in one country, they simply move
to another where donkeys are more plentiful and This is no ordinary trade and the action needed
may be less protected by law. to tackle it cannot be ordinary either.
Slaughterhouse notice regarding Skins drying at slaughterhouse with waste
stolen donkeys, Kenya. pile in background.
6 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 7
T H E G LO B A L T R A D E I N
DONKEY SKINS
Donkeys support the livelihoods of 500 million
Penned donkeys awaiting slaughter. people worldwide.
donkey once did.
The trade in donkey skins, which centres on Many donkeys experience extreme suffering
Africa, the Americas and Asia but extends well at the hands of traders. They are often Variations in figures reported by the ejiao The wide scale movement and unhygienic, often
beyond, sees millions of donkeys slaughtered transported long distances, by truck or on foot, industry, and the largely unregulated and often illegal, slaughter of donkeys of unknown health
annually. Their skins are exported to China for without adequate food, water and rest. They illegal nature of the trade, make it impossible to carries inherent biosecurity risks, the consequences
use as a raw material in the production of ejiao, are then held, often for days on end, again obtain precise figures for the number of donkeys of which could be globally significant.
a Chinese remedy believed by some to have without adequate food or water, before being required to produce current levels of ejiao,3
medicinal properties. slaughtered in brutal and unhygienic conditions. however estimates suggest it could be as high as The risks associated with the trade demand urgent
Others are stolen from their owners during 4.8 million donkeys.4 action. This urgency escalates as links between
the night and are ruthlessly the global trade in donkey skins and the trade in
slaughtered before their skins The trade has had catastrophic results for many wildlife, drugs and other illegal items are exposed.
are removed and the carcasses communities and families that rely on donkeys
left to rot. for their livelihoods. When a donkey is stolen, it
is often the women and children who are forced
to do the work, such as carrying water, that the
S L A U G H T E R E D FO R T H E S K I N T R A D E A N N U A L LY
8 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 9
THE DONKE Y SKIN TR ADE:
A T R OJA N H O R S E FO R
WILDLIFE TR AFFICKING
The multi-billion-dollar global wildlife trade What has been less recognized,
is one of the most lucrative businesses in the
world.5 The trade in wildlife and wildlife parts
studied or understood is the
for use as souvenirs, pets, medicine or clothing role that the trade in donkey skins has
not only has serious implications for global
conservation efforts6 but also hinders social and
played in facilitating this arena of highly
economic development. organized international crime.
The trade represents a threat to national and
global security7 and it undermines the efforts
of national governments and intergovernmental Evidence shows that the legally complex trade in
bodies to achieve sustainable development donkey skins may be acting as a vehicle for the
goals.8 The direct cost of zoonotic diseases wildlife trade as well as other illegal items including
between 2000 and 2010 is estimated to hardwoods and Class A drugs.
exceed USD20 billion and the indirect costs
are estimated to exceed USD200 billion.9 The practice of trading in multiple illegal
Approximately 70% of emerging infectious products is known as ‘parallel trafficking’19
diseases are of zoonotic origin10 and these and is common in the illicit trade in wildlife
zoonotic diseases are increasingly being linked to where traders use existing routes and anti-
the trade in wildlife and wildlife parts.11 detection methods to evade enforcement. As
just one example among many in the global
Wildlife trafficking is orchestrated by increasingly trade in donkey skins, an investigation by the
sophisticated transnational organised crime Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting
syndicates.12 These groups frequently use the Project (OCCRP)20 found that “…poly-traffickers
dark web to carry out their illicit activities,13 from Zimbabwe and Botswana (are) operating Seized ivory. Photo courtesy of Wildlife Justice Commission.
they take advantage of rapid and secure online contraband pipelines alongside their donkey
communications,14 and they benefit from increased smuggling businesses that traffic ivory, pangolin
ease of communication and movement of goods in scales, contraband cigarettes and marijuana quarantine regulations. However, these facilities national laws and regulations, or if it should
the era of global free trade.15 across jurisdictions.” are frequently located in countries where be refused and/or referred to an appropriate
an export prohibition on skins exists, either enforcement or regulatory authority for further
The routes used to smuggle wildlife and wildlife Using a legal trade as a smokescreen for illegal directly (Nigeria, Benin, Ghana) or because investigation.” TRAFFIC 2021.
products around the globe are also often used activity is not new. Illegal wildlife traders often countries have withdrawn licences from donkey
to smuggle weapons, drugs, and people,16 offer a diverse range of products and doing so slaughterhouses (Kenya, Tanzania). Other Donkey skins are both a smuggling vehicle, and a
and wildlife crime often occurs in conjunction enables them to ship illegal products disguised countries known to be exporting donkey skins smuggled item itself - disguised in consignments,
with other offences such as passport fraud, as, or concealed within, legally traded ones.21 (South Africa, Egypt, Botswana, Mexico) have alongside other illegal items, from countries
corruption,17 money laundering and murder.18 In many cases however, the trade in donkey no slaughter/export facilities registered with where donkey slaughter and donkey skin exports
skins is itself illegal, since a growing number of Chinese customs. are prohibited. China not only recognises that
What has been less recognized, studied or countries have banned the export of donkey smuggling of donkey skins takes place but that
understood is the role that the trade in donkey skins in an attempt to safeguard national Awareness about the role of the donkey skin it is set to increase – a 2021 market analysis
skins has played in facilitating this arena of highly donkey populations and the communities who trade as a vehicle for illegal trade is growing. A paper by the Donkey Branch of the China
organized international crime. depend on them. Despite this, donkeys are 2021 TRAFFIC report23 gave donkey skins a red Animal Husbandry Association24 concluded that
slaughtered, and their skins exported in direct flag designation alongside illegally traded wildlife due to market conditions “...some enterprises
Research commissioned by The Donkey Sanctuary defiance of national prohibitions,22 and recipient items such as elephant ivory and rhino horn. that do not abide by the law will increase their
and undertaken by the Wildlife Conservation government administrations are complicit in willingness to smuggle and participate.”
Research Unit (WildCRU) at the University of this undermining of national efforts to protect “Red flags are indicators that can be applied to
Oxford from 2019 to 2021 demonstrates that donkey populations. Chinese customs authorities shipping transactions to help identify possible The legality of the trade in donkey skins is often
donkey skins are both being offered for sale, oblige in-source-country donkey slaughter attempts to circumvent controls. Further ambiguous and this is exploited by traders for
and being shipped, with wildlife products, most and export facilities to register with them for enquiries will then assist in identifying whether their benefit.
commonly pangolin scales, ivory and seahorses. the purposes of biosecurity, veterinary and a transaction is legitimate and compliant with
10 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 11
DONKE Y SKIN SEIZURE REPORTS 2017 – 2022
R EPOR TED I NC I DENTS 83
COUNTR I ES 27
TOTAL NUMBER OF
75, 4 70
TR AFFI C K ED DONK E Y SK I N S
CO-SEIZURES
Elephant ivory
Pangolin scales
Hardwoods
Tiger skins
Shark fins Abalone
DONKEY SKIN SEIZURE INCIDENTS
Seahorses Zebra
Fish maw Dog skins
0 10,000+
12 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 13
ONLINE TR ADING: DONKE Y B2B platforms are a growing segment of
e-commerce, and thus are likely to represent
B2B platforms are a growing
SKINS AND WILDLIFE an expanding threat to those working to
segment of e-commerce, and
P R O D U C T S S O L D TO G E T H E R combat illegal wildlife trade and the illegal thus are likely to represent an
trade in donkey skins. The freedom and reach
provided by these platforms, and the so-called
expanding threat to those working to
democratization of shipping and commerce combat illegal wildlife trade.
globally, presents unscrupulous criminals with a
multitude of opportunities to reduce risks and
driveup profits.
BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS
PLATFORMS
Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce B2B e-commerce websites through which The table below shows the wildlife items being
platforms serve wholesalers and retailers donkey skins are traded. A total of 382 individual
worldwide by facilitating the promotion and sale vendors, registered across 55 countries, were
offered for sale by traders alongside donkey skins:
of products globally. Some offer a subscription- found to be selling donkey skins and 20% of
based model, charging fees to buyers and sellers those traders were also selling a total of 30 www.tradekey.com www.tradeford.com
for varying levels of service, while others take wildlife products from at least 11 species,
a commission from vendors for sales made or including pangolins, cheetahs, elephants,
charge a fee for listing products. Considering tigers and rhinoceros that are all listed under Leopard skins, lion skins, live cheetah cubs, Pangolin scales, hardwoods (inc ebony).
the sheer numbers of products sold on these the Convention on International Trade in pangolin scales, abalone, seahorse, sea
marketplaces, it is no surprise that some are Endangered Species (CITES). cucumber, shark fin, fish maw.
illegal, and this includes wildlife products and
illegally sourced donkey skins. CITES exists to prevent the over-exploitation www.ec21.com www.globalsuppliersonline.com
of wild animals and plants, and to ensure that
In 2017, The Donkey Sanctuary discovered the international trade in those species doesn’t Pangolin skin / scales, rhino horn, elephant Pangolin scales, elephant ivory, fish maw,
online B2B traders offering donkey skins threaten their survival.26 The international trade tusk, dog fur, crocodile skins, african tiger skins, parrots, reptiles, live birds, rhino horn, capuchin
alongside wildlife products such as pangolin in the 11 species being sold alongside donkey tiger fur (sic), leopard pelt, saltwater crocodile monkey, tiger teeth / skin, live cubs, black
scales and seahorses. Instances of these co- skins is either illegal or tightly regulated. There skins, zebra hides, hardwoods. scorpions, fish maw.
sales were logged and monitored, and appeared appeared to be a predominant association with
to increase in number over marine-derived species www.alibaba.com www.eworldtrade.com
the subsequent 12 months, including abalone, sea
along with a diversification of Thisresearch cucumber and fish maw Sea cucumber, hardwood charcoal, conch, Lion teeth, tiger teeth.
both the wildlife items offered (dried fish swim bladders).
and the range of countries
established clear abalone, seahorse.
from which they were being evidence of a link between The Donkey Sanctuary
sold. Large numbers of continued to monitor and www.ecplaza.net www.engormix.com
traders registered on the
wildlife trafficking and the investigate 12 B2B sites
B2B platforms during 2017 legally complex global trade following the completion of Pangolin scales, sea cucumber, hardwood Ivory tusks, walrus tusk/skull/penis, dried
and 2018, with the biggest the WildCRU research in charcoal, walrus tusks, narwhal tusks, bear bile northern fur seal penis.
proportion from South Africa,
in donkey skins. early 2021 and into 2022. & fats, musk pods.
Kenya and Cameroon, claiming All the sites hosted traders
to be able to source far more donkey skins in offering large volumes of donkey skins for www.exportersindia.com www.ecrobot.com
total than the national donkey populations of the sale. Traders were found to be offering wildlife
countries in which they were operating. products alongside donkey skins on all of the Macaw eggs, elephant tusks, golden eagle eggs, Seahorse, sea cucumber, tiger & lion teeth,
sites. On one B2B site, 14 traders were found to python (live and eggs) 100 different species rhino horns, tiger/leopard skin, elephant tusks.
The Donkey Sanctuary supported a study by be offering a range of items including elephant of parrot and eggs, seahorses, pangolin scales,
Oxford University’s WildCRU and Saïd Business ivory, tiger hides and rhino horns alongside rhino horn/powder, african lion skulls, shark
School (2019/20) into the co-sale phenomenon donkey skins, and on another, 13 different fins/tails, fish maw, hardwoods, live tortoise.
in order to establish its size and its role in the traders offered items including pangolin scales,
illegal wildlife trade. These findings will be capuchin monkeys and hardwoods alongside
published in Conservation Science and Practice donkey skins. Shark fins and seahorses of
in May 2022.25 unspecified species, as well as sea cucumbers www.global-trade-center.com www.go4worldbusiness.com
and abalone were found being offered for sale
This research established clear evidence of with uncertainty around their conservation Removed pages of traders offering wildlife Pangolin, kosso wood, fish maw.
a link between wildlife trafficking and the status. Other traders offered wildlife products products after notification from TDS.
legally complex global trade in donkey skins. unassociated with donkey skins.
WildCRU researchers identified seven large
14 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 15
Figure 2: Ghana-based trader
openly admits selling illegal wildlife
products.
B2B sites all contain search functions enabling being sold illegally, the donkey skins they are
potential buyers to find items offered for sale. being sold alongside are also illegal. The slaughter
Traders offering donkey skins were identified by of donkeys and the export of their skins has
using the search terms ‘donkey skin/s’ or ‘donkey been prohibited from numerous, mainly African,
hide/s’ and, once traders’ pages were identified countries owing to concerns about unsustainable
and logged, this was cross-checked against offtake, rising donkey thefts and the subsequent
searches for wildlife items. risks to donkey-dependent communities.
The Donkey Sanctuary has separately identified Large numbers of B2B donkey skin traders claim
over 70 B2B traders advertising donkey skins to operate from countries where the export
alongside wildlife items. The most common of donkey skins is currently prohibited or not
wildlife species/products being offered alongside permitted, including Kenya, Burkina Faso and
donkey skins were found to be pangolin scales, Nigeria where, in 2020, the Federal Ministry of
elephant ivory, rhino horn, lion/tiger teeth/ Agriculture and Rural Development took the
skins and a range of marine items including drastic step of designating the domesticated Figure 3: Uganda-based
trader confirms availability Figure 4: Some traders opt for email or
fish maw, sea cucumber and seahorses. The donkey as an “…endangered species due to high of pangolin scales. WhatsApp communication for wildlife trading.
Donkey Sanctuary research also discovered haulage of the animal from north to the south-
an increasingly diverse range of other illicit eastern part of the country for consumption and
commodities being offered for sale including export.”27 Other traders are based in countries
drugs such as cocaine, nembutal, MDMA/ecstasy that do not have the requisite ‘registered
and xanax, fake passports, currency and even facilities’ required by Chinese customs for
human body parts. The largest number of co-sale veterinary and quarantine purposes, including
traders (18) claimed to be based in Cameroon Egypt, South Africa, Botswana and Mexico.
offering donkey skins alongside everything Across the 12 B2B sites, where it was possible
from elephant tusks to human bones. eight to identify the location of the traders, large
were based in Kenya and five in Nigeria. In some numbers claimed to be based in Kenya (157),
instances, not only are the wildlife products Nigeria (117), Thailand (67) and Cameroon (59).
ONLINE TRADING OF ILLEGAL GOODS
The Donkey Sanctuary
research also discovered
an increasingly diverse range of
other illicit commodities being
offered for sale including drugs
such as cocaine, nembutal,
MDMA/ecstasy and xanax, fake
passports, currency and even
human body parts.
Figure 5: online trader provides
list of illegal items that can
be shipped to Hong Kong or
mainland China.
16 REPORT 1 17
SOCIAL MEDIA SITES Facebook YouTube Twitter
The sale of illicit products on online platforms A Nigeria-based trader lists over 200 photos of YouTube hosts multiple donkey skin traders from Twitter42 hosts donkey skin traders from Nigeria.
is not limited to illegal wildlife trade on B2B items for sale including donkey skins, hardwoods a range of countries, including: In addition, a 2018 post on Twitter from a company
marketplaces. Social media platforms act as and pangolin scales.32 There are several based in Abu Dhabi advertises donkey skins
facilitators of illegal trade by providing traders images of dead and dying donkeys in appalling A trader in Senegal who promotes sales of alongside lion and tiger teeth,43 as does another
with anonymity and secure communication conditions. Footage of hides being prepared in donkey skins and dried seahorses.39 Senegal from a company in Romania.44 The same trader
channels28 and by developing algorithms that filthy facilities are also included.33 has a ban on the export of donkey skins. Many offers macaws and grey parrots for sale.45,46
inadvertently but effectively connect buyers with seahorse species are protected.
illegal traders.29 In many instances, tech firms Three other Nigeria-based traders,34,35,36
operate with impunity and this provides them also offer donkey skins on their Facebook
Instagram
An Italian-based trader which openly
little incentive to actively combat illicit activity.30 pages, despite an explicit export prohibition advertises donkey skins from Ghana, has Instagram hosts traders from Kenya47 and
It is little surprise then that donkey skin traders on donkey skins in Nigeria. Images illustrating footage of 2,800 skins in its warehouse in Nigeria48, which have slaughter/export
are exploiting social media sites to offer skins for the pages show donkeys being slaughtered in Tepa, Ghana currently on YouTube.40 Ghana prohibitions in place, and Cameroon,49 which has
sale alongside illegal wildlife items. appalling conditions. Hardwoods and fish maw has issued a prohibition on the slaughter of no facilities licenced by China for the purposes of
are also offered for sale. donkeys for their skins. veterinary and quarantine regulations.
The Donkey Sanctuary used variations on the
Google search terms ‘donkey skins’ ‘donkey A Kenyan-based company, posted on its A donkey skin trader based in Nigeria.41
hides for sale’ to identify social media platforms Facebook page in January 202137 that it had
hosting donkey skin sales. This initial research “2000 pieces of donkey skin/hides available
identified multiple traders, often from countries for sale now in Kitale, Kenya. Price $40 per
with a ban on donkey skin export in place and, in skin. We can ship you anywhere in the world.
many instances, alongside wildlife products. Email .com for more
Despite an explicit export ban on donkey skins in info.” Another trader also based in Kenya,
Nigeria and a no-slaughter policy by the Kenyan offers camel and alligator skins alongside
Government, traders are using social media to donkey skins. Kenya has not licenced donkey
offer skins for sale from both countries. slaughterhouses since early 2020.
A trader based in Thailand38 offers donkey
skins alongside a number of wildlife products
The biggest social media including Ling Yang Jiao (Saiga Antelope
platforms, Facebook, Instagram horn), Tezhi Sanbian Jiu or Three-Penis
Liquor (Cantonese dog, seal and deer penis)
and WeChat have become ground zero and Lu Bian (slices of Sika deer testes).
for wildlife crime syndicates to connect
with buyers, market their illegal goods,
and move money.
– Alliance to Counter Online Crime31
Donkey skins being offered
alongside pangolin scales
and hardwoods on Facebook.
18 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 19G LO B A L T R A D E R S M A P
UK
Ben Wilson’s Cleaning Lab
Poland
Chad Browar Lomsa
Afri Hides Tradehouse.Kft
USA
ACBS Fragrance
& Cosmetic Ltd
India
Jimdam Trading Ltd
Senegal
Territorial Adverts UK
Thailand
Nittaya Trade Co. Ltd
Burkina Faso
Burkinabe Native Dealer
Ltd
Italian Fashion
Nigeria Cameroon
Stephen’s World of Donkey Skin Ewellecoof int. Ltd
Swala Simeon Abattoir SA
Nwoaha Isaiah Methoda Resourses
Donkey SKIN dealers in Nigeria West Coast Livestock and Fisheries Co Ltd
South Africa Tanzania Kenya
MacGyver Services Zoto Atangana
Animal Skins Daisy Agric Consultancy Vrall Exotics Ltd
Skills and Taz Ventures Bandecoal Limited Limited
Great Lakes Foods
Agrogold Tranax Investment Limited
20 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 21DETECTION AVOIDANCE
Online platforms often lack policies to protect Some online traders may be attempting to
C A S E S T U DY: K E N YA
against the sale of protected wildlife species, obfuscate or evade listing rules by using
let alone legally ambiguous donkey skins, and aggregated or deliberately misspelt descriptions A Kenya-based company with connections to
the sheer scale of electronic activity makes such as the listing soliciting “...donkey hidesea a range of other global businesses, websites
enforcement of policies, where they do exist, hourseabalonefish bladder” on Tradekey53 (see and social media pages, which variously
particularly challenging.50 This is evidenced Figure 7) or selling “pangolinsss scales” on advertise products such as donkey skins,
by the blatant disregard for national and ECPlaza (see Figure 8).54 gold, diamonds, snake and toad venom,
international law shown by some sellers. The narcotics (ketamine, crystal meth) and wildlife
trade is continually evolving, and traders move products including hardwoods, shark fins,
from one platform to another and use other seahorses, and sea cucumbers. Claims made
avoidance tactics to escape detection.51 on the company website suggest that it acts
as an intermediary, connecting buyers in
In several instances, traders advertising on online Thailand, Germany, China and the USA with
platforms openly acknowledge the illegality exporters and wholesale suppliers in Kenya,
of their sale and provide potential buyers with Cameroon and South Africa with companies
information on the steps that will be taken to and consumers.
obfuscate the shipment of other illegal products.
A US-based trader advertising illegal pangolin Many products offered by the company are
scales on the EC21 trade platform assures either trafficked or used to obscure other
potential buyers that they will “…package them trafficked wildlife. The company also sells
in corrugated cardboard boxes and make them cashew nuts, sisal fibers, coffee, timber and
look like electronic appliances to deter customs cloth, commodities often used to obfuscate
Donkey skin is prohibited in
attention,”52 (see Figure 6). On being approached illegal shipments of wildlife from Africa to Asia. Kenya as of now and we ship
by investigators from The Donkey Sanctuary, the
same trader offered a range of wildlife items for
Figure 6: A trader outlines detection avoidance tactics.
The company offers donkeys skins for export
under total discretion alongside
sale alongside donkey skins (see Figure 6) with from Kenya, even though it acknowledges this heavy bribery to the port authorities.
shipping to Hong Kong or China. is illegal. In response to an email in January
2021 from investigators from The Donkey
Chinese residents are completely
Sanctuary, the company said: banned dealing with donkey skin in
Kenya. We have 2,000 skins available
now and priced at $40 per skin. If
you are interested, we can start
Figure 7: Product names are shipping smaller quantities to avoid
frequently misspelt, perhaps
as a detection avoidance tactic. too much questioning. We can start
with 500 skins.
– Mr Tony
Figure 8: Product misspelling
is a regular occurrence.
22 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 23E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY
ATTEMPTS TO TACKLE
ILLEGAL TRADE
E-commerce platforms face an enormous task While the facilitating role that social-media
in detecting and combatting illegal activity platforms play in wildlife trafficking has attracted
on their sites. While some traders are openly more attention, and many have joined the Global
trading illegal goods,55 others take measures to Coalition to End Wildlife trafficking online,57
avoid detection. The online trading environment their efforts to stem the tide of wildlife sales
is also dynamic and, particularly when involved are often similarly disappointing. Most platforms
in illegal activity, can involve complex webs that committed to the coalition’s target of
spanning multiple countries. Traders use highly reducing wildlife trafficking by 80% have failed
anonymized payment methods, such as Western in their efforts.58 In February 2022, The Donkey
Union or MoneyGram, which makes tracking the Sanctuary wrote to all the B2B sites found to be
details of payments made for illegal products offering donkey skins for sale alongside wildlife
time-consuming and likely cost prohibitive. items, asking for both products to be removed
from sale. Global Trade Center deleted the
Key figures from the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online’s 2021 progress report. IFAW, WWF and wildlife trade
monitor TRAFFIC launched the coalition in 2018. Since then, it has blocked or removed more than 11.6 million posts and An examination of the terms and conditions trader’s sites we had drawn to their attention
ads. Image courtesy of the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online. on the B2B sites showed that only six (EC21, saying they valued “...environmental protection
eWorldTrade, Tradeford, Global Suppliers and animal protection...”. No positive response
online, Alibaba, Go4worldbusiness) included a has been forthcoming from others we contacted.
list of prohibited items. Four (Tradekey, Ecplaza,
Exporters India and Ecrobot) merely state that It remains unclear what percentage of the
unlawful items should not be sold on their traders advertising on social media sites
platform and one (Global Trade Center) did not are either bona fide donkey skin traders or
have terms and conditions listed at all. Of the wildlife criminals, as opposed to perpetrators
six platforms with a prohibited item list, five of schemes such as advanced fee fraud.
(EC21, eWorldTrade, Alibaba, Go4worldbusiness, The overt advertisement of illegal products,
Tradeford) specifically mention protected and the length of time the listings remain live,
animal parts. however demonstrates that current detection
measures are insufficient to dissuade traders.
As with most online platforms, traders appear More must be done to ensure that the cost
to take advantage of the lack of oversight by of this illegal activity outweighs its benefits
B2B marketplaces and freely include pictures to such an extent that online traders are
and detailed descriptions of goods, amounts deterred. The Donkey Sanctuary is unaware
available, minimum order amounts, prices, of any enforcement activity having been
delivery areas, shipping options, and details on undertaken in this online context.
the quality of goods. This raises some pressing
questions about how much effort the owners
of B2B marketplaces are putting into the Online trading platforms have a
policing and removing of illegal content. The
e-commerce industry has failed to effectively
greater role to play in detecting
self-regulate, despite pledges to do so, and the and addressing illegal activity occurring
B2B segment of the e-commerce world has
been almost entirely overlooked as a potential
on their sites. Until they do, the donkey
enabler of criminality.56 skin trade will continue to act as a
Trojan horse for the sale and shipping
of wildlife products.
Confiscated wildlife products at JFK airport. Source: Wiki.
24 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 25G LO B A L S H I P P I N G : Importing Source country Number of Total $ Value/$ av. Equine/bovine/any Mode of
DONKEY SKINS AND WILDLIFE country consignments consignment value description transport
P R O D U C T S S H I P P E D TO G E T H E R China Peru 121 $26m (av. $214,876 Equine
Mexico 115 $15m (av. $130,434) Equine/Donkey
Uruguay 73 $2.7 (av. $36,986) Equine
Panama 8 $96,000 Not given
Brazil 13 Not Given Salted Asinine Skins
The links between the global donkey skin Customs seizure reports and
trade and wildlife trafficking extend beyond Venezuela 4 $48,000 Not given
products being offered for sale alongside each
records, as well as news
Colombia 3 $76,000 Not given
other. Seizure records maintained by customs reports, obtained by WildCRU show
authorities show that donkey skins are shipped South Africa 9 $353,000 Not given
alongside products from a wide range of wild
evidence of donkey skins being shipped
Egypt 3 $1.4m ($466,666) Not given
animals, including those that are CITES listed. with elephant tusks, pangolin scales,
Customs seizure reports and records, as well Mauritania 1 $254,000 Not given
as news reports, obtained by WildCRU show
abalone, sea cucumber, shark fins, tiger
Nigeria 2 $557,000 Not given By air
evidence of donkey skins being shipped with skins and fish maw.
elephant tusks, pangolin scales, abalone, sea Tanzania 1 $161,000 Not given
cucumber, shark fins, tiger skins and fish maw. Kyrgyzstan 31 $7.3 million ($235,483) Not given By road
Many of these items are CITES Appendix 1 listed
meaning that commercial trade is either entirely Analysis of the Panjiva shipping database Mongolia 3 $68,000 Not given By road
illegal or at least tightly controlled. identified 1,600 consignments of 41020, valued
at USD$95 million, destined for China, Hong
Traders exporting donkey skins can simply Kong, Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam Hong Kong Brazil 34 Not Given Salted Asinine skins
designate their cargo under one of the between February 2017 and February 2022. Colombia 17 $837,000 Not given
internationally recognised Harmonised System 249 of these shipments originated in countries
or HS codes, which is the standardized numerical or regions that are not known to export donkey
method of classifying traded products. Customs skins, so these are likely to be bovine in origin. Vietnam Nigeria 1 Not Given Dried Donkey Skins
authorities globally use the HS system to identify Consignments within Asia accounted for 77 in
products when assessing duties and taxes, total, with 31 from Kyrgyzstan which is a known Brazil 35 Not Given Asinine Skins
and for gathering statistics, but shippers are donkey skin source country and 24 from India Colombia 15 $815,000 Not given
under no obligation to provide any more where it is suspected that the trade has been
detailed description of the consignment. operating for some time. Peru 1 $416,000 Equine
A single HS code, 410120, covers all equine Mexico 10 $955,000 Mainly equine, some
and bovine-derived skins, and this vagueness 500 consignments of 410120 from known bovine
is routinely exploited by exporters who provide donkey-skin source countries were examined.
either ambiguous descriptions, or no description
Table 2: Donkey skin exports / imports
at all (See Table 2). For example, analysis of While the lack of specificity of the 410120 code (data from Panjiva shipping database).
410120 exports from South Africa, which has makes it impossible to know precisely what was
a national slaughter quota of 12,000 donkeys in each of the consignments, the majority were
for export of skins to China, found only nine either listed as donkey or equine skins or were Only 17 consignments of 410120, valued at A similar analysis of the Tradeatlas and Volza
consignment records, none with descriptions shipped by known donkey skin exporters and $USD2.7 million in total, were recorded from shipping databases found 97 consignments
and all from 2017. This practice is regularly received by known donkey skin importers. This Africa to China. Details of shippers are not listed, of 410120 destined for China between
seen in wildlife trafficking where, according analysis has revealed that donkey skins may and quantities of product are not recorded. January 2015 and February 2022, in addition
to TRAFFIC, “Descriptions of commodities be being sourced and shipped from a much to 184 for Hong Kong and 50 to Vietnam.
are vague or misleading. Examples of vague more diverse range of countries than we had Based on what is documented about the scale Source countries such as US and Canada
descriptions for wildlife shipments include ‘shell’, previously realised. There is also no explicable of the trade in Africa60 these consignments can were discounted as they do not supply donkey
‘horn’, and ‘rosewood’ (there are many species of reason for the huge variation in average values only represent a fraction, less than 1%, of the skins. Searches were undertaken for donkey
rosewood, some of which can be traded legally, and for the consignments going to China and those actual numbers of skins exported from Africa hides/skins in the descriptions (where given)
others prohibited from international trade).”59 to Vietnam and Hong Kong. over the five-year period. and for HS code variations and miscodes.
26 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 27This analysis has revealed that Importing Source Number of consignments Equine/bovine/any Notes
donkey skins may be sourced country country / HS Code description
and shipped from a much more Hong Kong Mexico 43 coded to 410120 Not given
diverse range of countries than 34 coded to 410007 (Code Salted donkey hides
we had previously realised. not identified)
4 coded to 410007 (Code Salted Donkey Hides
not identified)
Brazil 17 coded to 410120 Not given
Colombia 33 coded to 410120 Not given
Table 3 & 4: Donkey Skin Exports / Imports
(from TradeAtlas and Volza databases) Chile 17 coded to 410120 Not given
Cyprus 16 (2 coded to 410120, 8 Donkey Skins Exporter is Ortiz Lan
Importing Source Number of consignments Equine/bovine/Any Notes to 430219 (HS code for based in Colombia so this
country country / HS Code description Furskins), 4 to 180200 seems to be miscode.
(Cocoa shells and husks),
China Mexico 65 coded to 410120 Mainly Equine
2 to 292143 (HS code for
+4 coded to 410007 Wet Salted donkey skin Toluidines)
(Code not identified)
Peru 6 coded to 410007 (Code Salted Donkey Hides
+4 coded to 410009 Donkey Skin Wet Salted HS Tariff 400120 given in not identified)
(Code not identified) description-
Uganda 1 coded to 410120 Not given
HS 400121 is a code for
Natural Rubber in Sheets Ghana 4 coded to 410150 (Equine Dry Donkey Skin
skins exceeding 16kg)
+4 coded to 410009 (Code
not identified) Kenya 2 uncoded Not given From Star Brilliant donkey
slaughterhouse
+14 coded to 41012002 Salted Donkey Hides
1 coded to 410692 Not given From Goldox donkey
+2 coded to 41012002 Salted Donkey Hides
(Tanned or crust hides and slaughterhouse
Brazil 10 coded to 410120 Equine skins of animals other than
equine or bovine)
Peru 4 coded to 410007 (Code Salted Donkey Hides
not identified) Tanzania 1 coded to 410120 Not given
Kenya 8 coded to 410120 Not given From Star Brilliant South Africa 1 coded to 410120
slaughterhouse
China 2 coded to 960000 - 15 Pallets Raw Donkey Skins
Nigeria 7 coded to 410006 (Code Donkey Skin (Closest code is HS (x2)
not identified) Dried Salted Donkey Skins 960110 which is worked
7 coded to 410006 (Code Ivory)
not identified)
2 coded to 960000 Donkey Hides
Ethiopia 1 coded 05051000 (HS Salted Donkey Skin NB from Volza database
Vietnam Togo 5 coded to 410000 Donkey Skin +2 (Volza) 2020
code for Raw feathers for
stuffing) Nigeria 4 coded to 320014 (HS Dried Salted Donkey Hides +2 (Volza)
code for Tanning and dying
Tanzania 2 uncoded Salted dried donkey skins From Fang Hua donkey
extracts)
slaughterhouse
Kenya 1 uncoded Dry Donkey Skin
Egypt 1 coded to 410120 Not given
Mexico 10 coded to 410007 (Code Salted Donkey Hides
South Africa 1 uncoded Not given
not identified)
Vietnam 8 uncoded Equine
Peru 20 coded to 410007 (Code Salted Donkey Hides
Malaysia 1 uncoded Dried Salted Donkey Skins not identified)
9 uncoded Dried Salted Donkey Hides Turkey 10 coded to 410002 (Code Wet salted donkey hides
not identified)
3 uncoded Dry Salted Donkey Hides
Note: Data shows results from searches undertaken for donkey skins and HS codes used to identify equine skins.
28 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 29It appears that some specific source countries consignments shipped by sea. The seizures
predominantly ship to countries that are not discovered co-shipments of ivory, dried African
the ultimate destination. A high percentage of grey parrot carcasses, agarwood, shark fin,
donkey skin exports from Brazil and Colombia, worked coral, rhino horn, crocodile skin and
for example, are shipped to Hong Kong. The unidentified animal bones. An unspecified
reason for this is unclear and will be examined number of donkey skins are listed as having
further. been found in consignments of pangolin scales.
Nigerian-based companies on a range of B2B
Another anomaly being investigated is the sites currently offer donkeys skins in association
diverse number of HS codes that are used for with a range of wildlife items including pangolin
donkey skin shipments, some of which bear no scales, elephant ivory and hardwoods. A 2021
relation to the consignment description. crime index report on Nigeria produced by the
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised
A December 2021 paper in Biological Crime62 states that “Nigeria has become a major
Conservation61 examined 80 Nigeria-linked transit hub for wildlife trafficking, particularly for
seizures of pangolin scales between January Central African ivory and pangolin scales as well as
2010 and September 2021, finding that 65% of for donkey hides destined for Vietnam and China,
the total mass of seized pangolin scales were the primary markets for wildlife products.” Donkey skins seized by Hong Kong Customs. Source: Hong Kong Customs.
In May 2018, Nigerian customs authorities in which 16 tons of donkey skins had been
intercepted a Chinese national attempting hidden.67 Analysis of the Tradeatlas shipping
to smuggle 23 bags of pangolin scales, database however found that not one of the
eight bags of elephant tusks and 99 bags of 38 consignments of salt arriving in Hong
‘unprocessed’ donkey skins out of the country. Kong during March and April 2020 originated
The suspect had been attempting to board a from Egypt; this raises serious questions
Qatar Airlines flight to China.63 In September about the reliability of the information
2021, two 40-foot containers of donkey provided in the documentation accompanying
skins (12,500 in total) were seized by Nigerian the shipments. The case was reportedly
customs, along with five 20-foot containers handed to the Agriculture, Fisheries and
of logs and a 20-foot container of charcoal.64 Conservation Department. In an email from
January 2022, customs authorities indicated
In March 2022, Nigeria Customs Service65 that the case was “…currently under court
seized donkey skins valued at £4,400. The proceedings...”
skins were being stored in a warehouse in
Lagos, alongside cannabis valued at £24,000. In 2017, customs officials in Hai Phong,
Vietnam, discovered a ton of seahorses
On 11 April 2020, the South China Morning disguised in a consignment of donkey skins
Post66 reported on the interception at the originating from Peru. It was estimated
Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination that the consignment comprised 300,000
Compound in Hong Kong of a consignment of seahorses, although the particular species
table salt from Egypt. The shipping container could not be identified.68
was found to contain smuggled items
including 17 tons of donkey skins, 520kg of
sea cucumbers and 2kg of fish maws. This
followed on from a seizure on 9 April of a
container of table salt, again from Egypt,
Live Pangolin. Source: Wiki.
30 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 31C A S E S T U D I E S: N OTA B L E S E I Z U R E S
25,0 0 0 11 ,0 0 0
DONKEY DONKEY
SKINS SKINS, 7
TIGER SKINS
23 B AG S O F 16 TO N N E S
PA N G O L I N OF DONKEY
SCALES, 8 S K I N , 1 TO N
B AG S O F OF DRIED
ELEPHANT SHARK
T U S K S , 99 F I N S , 520 KG
B AG S O F OF SEA
DONKEY CUCUMBERS,
SKINS 2 KG O F F I S H
M AW
70 D O N K E Y S 30 0,0 0 0
W E R E FO U N D I N D I V I D UA L
TO O W E A K SEAHORSES
TO S TA N D WERE
FA L S I F I E D A S
A SHIPMENT
OF DONKE YS
32 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 33FO C U S O N CO LO M B I A
A 2021 InSight Crime investigation into donkey InSight Crime spoke with a state forensics In 2016, Colombian news outlet La FM
trafficking in Colombia69 revealed widespread investigator, who had been commissioned reported72 that 760 donkey skins had been STOP PRESS
purchasing, theft and slaughter of donkeys, and by Colombia’s Attorney General, to investigate seized by police in Cordoba’s animal protection
exposed the impact of this on people who use the illegal donkey trade. He revealed that unit. Police Colonel Engelbert Grijalba indicated
At the time of writing, ongoing
donkeys on their farms and for the transport prosecutors suspected local representatives that donkey skin “…is also used by drug
investigations commissioned by The Donkey
of goods, food and people. The investigation of the Regional Autonomous Corporation traffickers, with the intention of ‘camouflaging’
Sanctuary are uncovering evidenced links
found substantial evidence of loopholes and (Corporaciones Autónomas Regionales) as having coca shipments in the inspections of anti-
between the donkey skin trade in South
non-compliance with existing Colombian laws overstated production numbers at a licenced narcotics dogs.” A news report from February
America and the smuggling of jaguar teeth
by companies involved in the trade. This was crocodile-breeding farm in the Antioquia 201773 detailed the activities of a gang named
to Hong Kong and Vietnam. Investigations
seemingly an issue that the authorities have department, which was legally exporting the ‘Pela Burros’ (Donkey Peelers) operating on
in Africa have found donkey skin traders
been aware of for some years. In a 2016 crocodile and alligator skins. These extra the Colombian-Venezuelan border and stealing
operating in countries with a ban on the
interview with, the El Heraldo newspaper70 animals on paper gave the exporters space donkeys for their skins. Local speculation was
slaughter of donkeys and the export of their
with Luis Humberto Martínez, National Director in the cargo hold to send additional items. that donkey skins were used to “...camouflage
skins, and who are involved in the trading
of the Colombian Agricultural Institute, ICA cocaine that is shipped to Asian countries.”
of a range of prohibited wildlife items from
said that: Attached to the breeding farm was a ‘clandestine’
endangered species. This information has
donkey slaughterhouse and tannery, all run and
been shared with the relevant international
"This activity (donkey skin export to China operated by the same couple who the authorities
enforcement authorities who are acting on
and Hong Kong) is carried out without claimed were trafficking donkey skins. According
the intelligence.
a health certificate for exports, that is, to InSight Crime:
without the certification of specific health
requirements, since exporters present a “The tannery, breeding zoo and
declaration indicating that the countries of slaughterhouse were complementary
destination do not require the Animal Health businesses. Stolen donkeys were run through
Certificate. With this, they automatically the slaughterhouse for their skin, which
exonerate the ICA from responsibility for was processed with a brine, then stored in
possible returns. At the exit point only the cold rooms. Later, they were transferred
physical verification of the merchandise to refrigerated trucks, before being sent
is carried out and the respective health abroad alongside the products from the
inspection certificate is issued on site. As a tannery. Their destination, the Attorney
result… it is impossible to be certain of the General’s Office believes, was China. The
origin of the skins.” donkey carcasses were sent to the zoo,
where the owners would feed them to the
As an example of the high levels of ambiguity alligators and crocodiles they were breeding,
that plague the trade in donkey skins, Martinez one former employee told InSight Crime.”
indicated that China does not specify import
requirements when, in fact, China has clear
and specific rules regarding veterinary and There is a market for space in
quarantine certification on donkey skin imports,
and only allows imports from source-country
the cargo hold. In addition to
production facilities it has licenced for that sending the treated donkey skins,
purpose. No listings of any such facilities in
Colombia are recorded on China’s customs
exporters can send skins and furs of
database. When questioned by InSight Crime, other animals that have been captured
the Colombian authorities admitted that none
of the donkey skin export companies “...complied
and killed illegally. Prosecutors also
completely...” with export regulations, saying suspect that money launderers and
that many consignments of exported skins “…
did not have a certificate to prove they had been
drug traffickers can buy this space.
cleaned and sanitized for export.”71
– InSight Crime
Freezer room at a donkey slaughterhouse.
34 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 35FO C U S O N S O U T H A F R I C A
One of the key alerts to the link between the
donkey skin trade and the wildlife trade was an
insightful 2017 National Geographic feature by
January 2017 – Bapsfontein
South African journalist Kimon de Greef.74 South African company, Anatic Trading Pty Ltd,
founded in September 2015,77 was investigated
This revealed a close link between the individuals by South African Police Service on 16 January
involved in South Africa’s illegal abalone trade 2017. Acting on a tip-off, Captain Ockert Jaco
and the donkey skin trade. It also uncovered Van Der Walt of the Cullinan Stock Theft Unit
a plethora of other problems with the trade discovered 2,921 donkey skins in a storage unit
from abject cruelty to contravention of local in Bapsfontein near Johannesburg, which were
laws and environmental pollution and the active about to be imminently shipped from Durban.
involvement of Chinese Triad cartels. It sparked a
flurry of enforcement activity by the authorities Captain Van der Valt was “...handed seemingly
and some high-profile seizures in a short space false invoices to account for the possession
of time. of the donkey hides...”78 and subsequently “...
obtained further shipping invoices of previous
shipments of donkey hides by Anatic Trading.”
June 2016 - Bloemfontein These invoices showed that Anatic Trading
Following a tip-off by the Highveld Horse Care shipped a total of 12,776 donkey skins to Hong
Unit,75 a raid by the authorities on a property Kong between July 2016 and December 2016, a
outside Bloemfontein in June 2016 found 82 figure that far exceeded the entire annual quota
dead and dying donkeys, corralled for days for South Africa. The shipping instructions for
without food or water and awaiting slaughter the seized hides were linked by the police back to
for their skins. One of the South African SPCA Anatic Trading.
inspectors, Reinet Meyer said it was the worst
case she had seen in 27 years of service. The National Prosecuting Authority issued a
press statement on 10 May 2017 stating:
“The donkeys had begun eating cardboard
and bark from desperation,” Meyer says. “The invoices received only account for the
“Many had deformed hoofs and were purchase of 133 donkeys. This leaves the
infected with herpes. Several mothers had origin of 2788 donkey hides unexplained. It
aborted their pregnancies from stress. We is the State’s case that the only reasonable
found at least 19 foetuses, but counting was inference that can be drawn from the lack
difficult—they were small and had started of documentation is that the remaining
decomposing.”76 2,788 donkey hides, if not all, were illegally
acquired or stolen, which is a contravention
In an outbuilding at the property, Meyer of the Stock Theft Act.
discovered a gas burner and giant pots for
processing abalone, a prized shellfish in Asia, "Captain Van der Walt obtained statements
which is smuggled out of South Africa in huge from two of the three registered equine
quantities. De Greef concluded: “Cases like the abattoirs. Both Middelvlei and Vaalbank
Bloemfontein raid help connect the dots. Dried Abattoirs deny that the hides seized
abalone, a status food that can sell for more than originate from their abattoirs. What is
$90 per pound in China, forms the nucleus of disturbing is that both Middelvlei and
a criminal economy worth millions each year in Vaalbank Abattoirs were approached by
South Africa, with documented links to money Chinese nationals after the search and
laundering and the drug trade. Police confiscated seizure for false invoices. None of the 2,921
fewer than two dozen dried abalone from the donkeys were therefore legally slaughtered
Bloemfontein property, a tiny haul, given that which is an offence in terms of section 7 of
illicit exports from the country exceed 2,000 the Meat Safety Act.”
tons annually, equivalent to some 500,000
shellfish. But the find added credence to
Donkey skins seized during Bapsfontein raid.
suspicions that donkey skins have been shifting Image courtesy of Highveld Horse Care Unit.
onto the black market.”
36 REPORT 1 TH E G LOBAL TR AD E I N DON KE Y S KI N S A T I CKI N G T I M E BOM B 37You can also read
