Pakistani Donkeys: In terms of donkey populations, Pakistan is second only to Ethiopia and Sudan. Abdul Rasheed is currently in a difficult situation. His only source of income, Tiger, his donkey, passed away in an accident last week. Given that donkey costs have skyrocketed in Karachi and other regions of Pakistan.

Rasheed is unsure whether to get a new one despite the risk of extreme poverty. Rasheed, a donkey cart owner, stated, “A donkey can now cost up to ₹2,00,000 in the market, which is much more than the ₹30,000 I paid for Tiger eight years ago.” High-value buyers from China are now posing a serious threat to Rasheed and hundreds of other low-wage workers who rely only on donkeys for their livelihood.

Reasons for high Demand:

China’s growing interest in buying donkeys from Pakistan has caused an unexpected spike in donkey prices. The multibillion-dollar ejiao industry in China drives this demand. Manufacturers stew and concentrate donkey skin to produce ejiao, a gelatin used in traditional Chinese medicine. Clinics frequently use it for its claimed biological benefits, including reducing fatigue, boosting immunity, suppressing tumors, and treating anemia.

Animal rights activists have long been aware of China’s focus on acquiring donkeys, especially for their hides.

Dr. Prof. Guo Jing Feng, director of the Pu-Sheng Medical Center in Karachi, which offers holistic and alternative healthcare services, explained, “China’s demand for donkey hides far exceeds its supply, pushing international trade. The market will continue to grow to meet the rising demand for ejiao.”

Local Vendor Responses:

Rasheed said that even with strong connections in Lyari, Karachi’s largest donkey market, the cheapest healthy donkey costs ₹1,55,000. “Where can I find that kind of money?” he asked. Earning less than ₹400,000 a year, Rasheed added, “Even if I manage to buy one, I can’t be sure the animal won’t die before I recover the money.”

Several industries, including brick kilns, transportation, agriculture, waste collection, recycling, and even laundry, heavily rely on donkeys. Every day, low-wage workers load structural iron and other heavy materials onto donkeys or donkey carts and transport them across long distances over rough terrain.

Samad, another daily wage laborer, earns ₹1,500 to ₹2,000 for a journey that can last an hour or more. He spends nearly half of that income on his donkey’s upkeep. “It’s the bare minimum,” he said, “but it keeps my household running.” Pakistan ranks just behind Ethiopia and Sudan in donkey population, with an estimated 5.9 million working donkeys across the country.

Statistic Reports:
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reports that during the previous 12 months, there were 1,09,000 more donkeys in the nation. Reports indicate that around 500 million impoverished and marginalized people worldwide, including in Pakistan, rely on working equines, such as horses, donkeys, and mules.

A Chinese group that expressed interest in setting up donkey farms in Pakistan met with Rana Tanveer Hussain, the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, in April 2025.

Ejiao is one of the top three tonics used in traditional Chinese medicine, which is why donkey hides are in high demand in China. A newspaper story claims that over the past five years, the manufacture of ejiao products has increased by 160%, meaning that millions of donkey skins are needed to meet demand.

Establishment of Donkey Farms:

A spokesman for the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said that setting up donkey farms in Pakistan would boost the national economy, as local workers would handle all operations, feeding, caring for the animals, and managing the systems.

Dr. Asal Khan, Director General of the Livestock and Dairy Development Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated that some private Chinese companies had expressed interest in trading animals with the provincial government. However, these private ventures never materialized. “Their main goal is to buy donkeys from us and export them to China for their hides, and we will not allow that,” Dr. Khan declared.

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Zohaib Shah, a donkey vendor at the Lyari market, said that some Chinese buyers are willing to purchase even weak and unhealthy donkeys at low prices, as the animal’s general health doesn’t affect the quality of its hide. He pointed out a case where a Chinese group bought 14 undersized, sick donkeys, paying ₹40,000 for each. The growing export of Pakistani donkey hides to China has also sparked ethical concerns. Saleem Reza, a senior officer at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, identified the largest buyer and urged the government to act.

“The government must ensure that donkeys are not slaughtered in Pakistan before being sent to China, even if there is demand,” he said. “We consider donkey meat to be haram, and we need a system that prevents its commercial, unethical, and illegal use,” Reza added. Authorities must establish dedicated factories for slaughter and processing to ensure donkey meat and hides don’t enter the Pakistani market.

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