Alarm has been raised over increased
illegal donkey slaughtering in Wenzyee area of Mwingi West sub-county,
Kitui, attributed to a lucrative Chinese black market for donkey hides.
Caritas Kitui-Mtunze Punda project coordinator Donald Kituku condemned as bizarre the illegal activities by the unknown persons.
There was an attempt to skin a donkey
alive at the area. The perpetrators of the illegal business attempted it
at night as the donkeys were kept in an isolated location,” said
Kituku.
The vet confirmed the donkey had deep
cuts on the left forelimb as the thieves tried to demobilize the animal
before killing it but they ran away when they realized they had been
seen by the owners.
Bernard Waweru, a Caritas Vet, said the incident is alarming, adding that the illegal trade will deprive families their livelihood.
The main aim of the trade is to get the
donkey skin whose demand has quadrupled in the China market. illegal
skinning of donkeys in Kitui is depriving the
community their livelihoods, as most women rely on the animal for
transportation of water to their homesteads and also for commercial
use,” said Dr Bernard Waweru, a Caritas Vet.
To mitigate the emerging issues, Musyimi said Caritas team and local leaders have embarked on a sensitisation mission to advise donkey owners to properly house their animal especially at night to prevent them from the menace of illegal skinning and theft.
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