This is according to Alex Mayers, of The Donkey Sanctuary UK. Mayers is currently visiting South Africa and will be travelling to neighbouring Botswana today, as part of a fact-finding mission regarding the illegal trade in donkey skins. Mayers says that this issue has transcended mere animal cruelty, and is posing a serious risk to the social and economic cohesion of rural communities on the continent.

“People are waking up and finding that their access to markets, schools and water is basically gone.  Whole villages of donkeys are being taken away and being slaughtered in the bushes. And now, when all of these donkeys are stolen, the rest of the donkeys are working twice as hard. 

So we are seeing things like wounds and hoof injuries increasing among the donkeys left behind. It is causing a huge welfare nightmare for the donkeys but also for the people who rely on donkeys - it’s turning into a humanitarian and economic crisis as well,” Mayers adds.

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