Slaughter of Africa's Donkeys for China Hurts Poorest Farmers
- Donkey skins produce anti-ageing gelatin popular in China
- Mass slaughter threatens communities that rely on the animal
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When the impoverished West African nation of Niger imposed a ban on donkey exports last year, a small community of traders just over the border in Nigeria was devastated.
“Before the ban, you could see thousands of donkeys here,” said Mohammed Sani, a 45-year-old trader in the Nigerian town of Jibiya, as he wiped the sweat off his brow. “Now look at them: there’s no more than 50, crippling the business.”