Donkeys — you might think they are ubiquitous, but for many in rural Africa they're a lifeline. Now some countries are worried they could even become extinct. Donkey skins are used to make ejiao, a traditional medicine popular in China, and local criminal gangs are stealing and brutally butchering millions of them to meet demand. Kate Bartlett reports from Johannesburg. Videographer: Zaheer Cassim
Africa's Donkeys Being Stolen for Chinese Medicine
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Donkeys — you might think they are ubiquitous, but for many in rural Africa they're a lifeline. Now some countries are worried they could even become extinct. Donkey skins are used to make ejiao, a traditional medicine popular in China, and local criminal gangs are stealing and brutally butchering millions of them to meet demand. Kate Bartlett reports from Johannesburg. Videographer: Zaheer Cassim