Donkey skins are the new ivory

Donkey skins are the new ivory

Massive demand in China has sent the price of donkeys skyrocketing in the poor countries, thus reducing the population. (According to the article, donkeys are not good breeders.)

And what causes this demand?

"Since ancient times the Chinese have consumed ejiao, a gelatine made by boiling and refining donkey skin to produce a tonic taken as an elixir."

And that creates a black market, because some 15 countries have curbed or banned donkey exports. In addition to smuggling, thievery constantly increases because donkeys now have a substantial value, and that value keeps increasing because demand is surging while the supply is diminishing.

"Poor farmers can hardly be blamed for selling their donkeys for sums that dwarf their value as draft animals. But in many cases, the vendors are not the actual owners. Instead, thieves have begun stealing donkeys in order to take advantage of the surging prices, leaving farmers without their most prized labourers."