The population of donkeys in Brazil has suffered a strong drop in recent decades, with estimates pointing to a 94% reduction between 1996 and 2025. If the current rhythm of slaughter continues, the species may disappear from the country by 2030. BBCvia portal G1.
Researchers heard by BBC They claim that the main cause is China’s growing demand for collagen found just below the skin of these animals, used in traditional Chinese medicine.
The problem would not be exclusive to Brazil, but a global phenomenon. Countries like Egypt already record the almost extinction of donkeys, and the conservation of the species has become an international agenda.
In Brazil, slaughter occurs mainly in licensed refrigerators in Bahia, but the lack of traceability and strict control worries experts.
To try to reverse the picture, researchers and activists heard by BBC They advocate the approval of a bill that prohibits the slaughter of donkeys throughout the national territory.
At the same time, initiatives to raise sanctuaries and reintroduce animals in activities such as “juching therapy” and family farming gain strength, seeking to preserve the species and value their cultural and economic role.
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According to BBCthe expectation is to strengthen the mobilization for the conservation of the donkeys and to press Congress to approve measures that guarantee the survival of the species in the country.
