This Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation webinar was led by Amy McLean, an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis.

Dr. McLean’s research focuses on improving equine management, behavior and welfare with specific interest in donkeys, mules, hinnies and working equids in developing countries.

Exploding demand for ejiao, a gelatin made from donkey skins, is decimating donkey populations worldwide and harming impoverished people who rely on these important animals.

Millions of donkeys are slaughtered annually to make ejiao (pronounced uh-jee-ow), which is used in traditional Chinese medicine, beauty, cosmetic and other products despite little scientific evidence of its purported benefits and alternative sources of gelatin, including plants.

The United States imports about $12 million worth of ejiao products annually.

This presentation explores where donkey populations stand now, what forces are shaping their future, and why their well-being matters not only to vulnerable communities worldwide, but to all of us who care deeply about equids.

Clarification:

The Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, which is mentioned during the webinar, would cover all equines, including donkeys.

Take action

The bipartisan Ejiao Act (H.R. 5544) would ban the sale or transport of ejiao, a gelatin made from donkey hides, or products made with ejiao.

Send a message to your members of Congress in support of the Ejiao Act

Donate to our Wild Horse Defense Fund, which fuels our Capitol Hill lobbying, grassroots advocacy and selective litigation