Angela Rippon supports global ban of donkey skin trade
TV presenter and journalist, Angela Rippon, is calling for a global ban of the donkey skin trade, after meeting with Brooke in London on Friday 17 May 2024.
Angela led a panel discussion at Saddlers’ Hall for the charity’s supporters on the skin trade, which has devastated Africa’s donkey population.
Brooke leaders from East Africa, West Africa and Ethiopia offered insight into the slaughter of donkeys for their skins to make ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine believed to have health benefits which remain unproven.
Angela with Brooke's regional directors at Saddler's Hall.
"It’s vital to protect these animals who do so much for people. You can’t have one without the other."
Angela said: “I’m so proud to fight alongside Brooke to end the donkey skin trade, which is having a devastating impact on livelihoods and communities.
“I hope through discussions like this, we can shed light on the horrors of the trade and influence a global ban, which Brooke is working so hard to achieve.”
An Africa-wide ban of the donkey skin trade was approved by the African Union with support from organisations including Brooke, in a summit on 18 February 2024.
Hundreds of thousands of donkeys are slaughtered for their skins and exported each year, depleting the donkey population.
Nalango, 57 from Kenya, cried and prayed for days after eight of her donkeys were stolen and slaughtered for their skins, who she relied on to help her fetch water and with household chores.
"There is a still a long way to go to stop the trade entirely and give these animals a life worth living.”
The event is one of many this year to mark Brooke’s 90th anniversary and thank the charity’s supporters, the other most recent event being a Buckingham Palace reception hosted by Her Majesty The Queen on 9 May.
Other Brooke ambassadors in attendance were Ted Lasso actress, Annette Badland and Olympic equestrian, Jane Holderness-Roddam, who gave an interview.
Chris Wainwright, Chief Executive of Brooke, said: “The skin trade poses a significant threat to the future of the world’s donkeys, especially in communities where they are vital to social and economic development."
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