Exposed: Young Ostriches Butchered for ‘Luxury’ Bags
Never-before-seen footage shows how birds are shoved into boxes and have their throats slit at slaughterhouses that supply Hermès, Prada and other “luxury” fashion houses.
In September 2015, PETA US investigators travelled to South Africa to document what happens inside the largest ostrich slaughter companies in the world, including the exclusive supplier of ostrich skins for Hermès Birkin bags. Investigators saw workers force terrified ostriches into stun boxes – causing many to slip and fall – and then slit their throats. The ostriches next in line watched helplessly as their flockmates were killed right in front of them.
Workers were caught on camera striking ostriches in the face during transport, and when ostriches stumbled over a collapsed flockmate outside a slaughterhouse, a plant director joked, “I’ll call the animal welfare officer just now”.
These slaughterhouses supply ostrich skins to Hermès, Prada, Louis Vuitton and other top European fashion houses. Feathers, some of which are ripped out of the ostriches’ skin while they are fully conscious, are used in costumes for the Moulin Rouge and festivals like Brazil’s Rio Carnival as well as in feather dusters, boas and accessories. Ostrich meat is also sold throughout South Africa and exported primarily to Europe.
South Africa: The Ostrich Killing Capital of the World
The Western Cape of South Africa is home to the largest ostrich slaughter companies in the world, which supply “luxury” ostrich skins to Hermès and other major fashion houses.
PETA US investigators saw the juvenile birds tightly packed into open-topped vehicles for the terrifying journey to slaughter. Once they reach the slaughterhouse, workers forcibly restrain each bird, electrically stun them and then cut their throats. Moments later, the feathers are torn off the birds’ still-warm bodies, they are skinned and dismembered.
The Intelligent Ostrich
While ostriches can live for more than 40 years, farmed ostriches are slaughtered when they are just 1 year old. And while young ostriches typically stay with their parents for up to three years, ostriches raised on factory farms will never even get to meet their parents.
In the wild, these intelligent birds share parental duties, with the camouflaged mother taking care of the eggs during the daytime and the father, who has black feathers, taking night-time duty. One farm manager told our investigators that he has seen ostriches take turns fanning each other on hot days, remarking, “I have a lot of respect for ostrich”.
Some peoples told me that there’s a chance that it might become legal to hunt me again? (And not just me – all my fox, deer and hare chums are in danger too)
A free vote on repealing the Hunting Act is in the manifesto of the Conservative Party. But why, when so many people are against it?
I don’t understand politics!
This clever moving picture thing tells everyone exactly how many peoples are against hunting. Please, please watch it and send this to everyone you know – including your political candidates. They need to know how unpopular doing this would be (and not just with me!)
Please do it now if you can – it only takes a fox’s heartbeat and it’ll tell all your candidate peoples what you think about hunting and increasing sentences for bad animal cruelty peoples. And please tell your friends you’ve done it!
Help me Crowdfund!
Please pledge towards our urgent crowdfunder appeal. With your support, we will highlight the threat to animals in this election, so that all electoral candidates can take notice of our calls to protect and strengthen animal welfare. Please pledge your support today!
Help me!!
Even if you can’t come and see me, there will be lots of chances for you good peoples to help my campaign! Could you hand out leaflets or talk to peoples? Put up posters? If you can do anything please email campaigns@league.org.uk and my friends will be in touch!
Share and share alike
I’ve been super busy this week and there’s loads of new blogs and photos on my VotesforVinny website. Please share them – go on, I’m really cute! And don’t forget to find me on Tweeter and Foxbook!
I’m going now.
Thank you wonderful person for helping me – it’s made me very happy!
Posted on May 19, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
From friend Mark at ‘Respect for Animals’, Nottingham, England.
Please sign the petition re fur farming ban in Bosnia – and then pass the link to all your contacts – Thanks SAV.
Dear friend.
Do you have 30 seconds?
We are worried about an urgent procedure in the Bosnian parliament that threatens the ban on fur farming, which is due to come into force in 2018.
This proposal will prolong fur farming for ANOTHER 10 YEARS.
We need to make our voices heard for animals. Another 10 years of suffering for huge numbers of animals who will be factory farmed in tiny wire cages is not acceptable.
We’ve already written to key Bosnian politicians and now are asking you to add your name to our letter to the Ambassador for Bosnia- Herzegovina.
Here is the text of the letter you will be adding your name to:
To His Excellency Mustafa Mujezinovic
I am writing to you regarding the fur farming ban which should be implemented in 2018 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I am alarmed about the unjustified urgent procedure in the Bosnian House of Representatives that undermines the Animal Protection and Welfare Act, which banned the cruel and unnecessary practice of fur farming.
This urgent proposal will prolong this cruel industry and the suffering of innocent animals for another 10 years, just months before the ban should take place. This is extremely disappointing.
Previously, I had admired the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina for your role at the forefront of a Europe that respects animal welfare by the passing of this Act. In the last eight years, fur farmers in Bosnia and Herzegovina were given the opportunity to transition to a more sustainable industry.
Prolonging the phase-out period would be unjustifiable to farmers that have respected the law. It would weaken the reliability of legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, given the unjustified, urgent procedure used by the House of Representatives to annul legislation that was voted upon by the Bosnian government nine years ago.
Posted on May 18, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Picture shows : On this China market live donkeys are being brutally slaughtered.
SAV Comment:
The following relates to our recent post regarding donkeys possibly going to be exported from Australia to China. Here is the link to the post, and we would suggest that it should be reviewed BEFORE reading the responses below:
We agree with many of the points raised below, especially those of points 2 and 5. We know that the Australian trade survives on transporting live animals over huge distances to terrible deaths in far off places. We very much would argue about the statement made that donkeys would be slaughtered in licensed abattoirs in Australia, not transported live to China. The original comment in the past response also talks of ‘humane’ slaughter in the street using sledgehammers rather than their use in slaughterhouses. We have campaigned against, and shown posts in the past relating to the use of sledgehammers to kill animals in slaughterhouses. Nothing is better – their use either on the street or in slaughterhouses is abhorrent and should be banned wherever.
Here is the response to the above links from one of our supporters which was sent to us by e mail. We have reproduced in full with no edits.
We welcome comments relating to any issues covered. Please use the ‘Contact’ tab at the top of the page if you would like to leave any feedback. Comments are shown on the site under ‘Recent Comments’ which is located on the right hand side.
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Dear friends from the “Donkey Sanctuary”,
I have a few Points about the article you send in SAV from 15/5/17.
Point 1.Whilst we cannot deny the truth of the articles linked in the Serbian Animals Voice page, many of them are several years (or even decades) old, and in the case of flesh being cut off live donkeys, we had reassurance some years ago from a reliable contact in Beijing that this was rare to start with, and now no longer happens.
Criticism: How are you so sure that new photos would not be worse than the old ones?
Which is their reliable contact in Beijing?
From whom do you know that such things no longer happen? Apart from a recognized animal protection organization in the country, I would not trust anyone else that he/she is telling the truth. Especially in China, a country where there is no animal protection, one should be very careful with such statements.
Point 2. Whilst we do not condone the roadside slaughter of donkeys by sledgehammer, although it is brutal, as long as it is performed by someone who knows what they’re doing and does it well, it can be quicker and more humane than what goes on behind closed doors in some abattoirs rather closer to home.
Criticism: If you really consider the slaughter of the donkeys with sledgehammer as a “humane” slaughter, compared to the brutal slaughterhouses, then you can suggest to those who eat meat and wear leather that they prefer both (meat and leather) from the “human” slaughtered donkey on the street. This reminds me a little of the organic meat myth in Germany (Bio Fleisch).
Picture shows : Horrifying sights of the animals bashed over the head with a sledgehammer.
you will see that the logistics and economic viability are in fact far from straightforward or easy to justify. This article is dated 2016 and is far more realistic as the extract in the box below demonstrates:
The article may be up-to-date, but how can you believe that an unscrupulous businessman, such as Trier, says the truth, if he says, that they are not planning anything with live transports to China? Why does Trier give you the guarantee that he says the truth? He also says himself: “as soon as the dollars stack up, then one comes immediately into the business! We are talking about millions of business, don`t forget !!!
Point 4. Furthermore, the indications are that if it should happen (which currently looks unlikely), that donkeys would be slaughtered in licensed abattoirs in Australia, not transported live to China.
Criticism: You say “the indications” but you are not sure. We aren’t either. We do not expect an email from both countries to find out that such a transport takes place. And China has never done any business with slaughtered animals. China is a country which is 100% oriented on transports of live animals. Because that is cheap!
The simple logic says that if the donkeys are previously slaughtered in “licensed abattoirs in Australia”, the business it is not worth.
Point 5. We call for a halt to the trade in donkey skins to produce ejiao until the impact of the trade can be assessed and shown to be both humane for donkeys and sustainable for the communities that depend on them.
Criticism: You distinguish between illegal and legal action. And in addition, you demand a “halt” of trade with donkeys, which are slaughtered for the production of ejiao, not a ban. You leave a window open for Chinese medicine? Today, we know very well that the famous Chinese medicine is only a good selling myth. Just like the liquid from the bile of bears in China and Korea, which produces non detectable positive effect, but only an agonizing death for millions of animals. I think you should be much stricter in your judgments and requirements. Especially when it`s about countries like Australia, China, Romania, Turkey … etc ,,
Experience has shown us that we can never be sufficiently mistrustful and vigilant, and that is why we must act on time.
Posted on May 17, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
You did it. Your voice has been heard!
TK Maxx has responded. They have accepted the Blood Feather award and turned it into something positive:
They have agreed to stand up for the geese and ducks in their supply chain.
As you may remember, we believed that TK Maxx was not doing enough to prevent cruelty from entering their bedding supply chain. They were ignoring our 40Lives campaign and our efforts to get in touch.
Luckily, over 13,000 FOUR PAWS supporterscontacted TK Maxx directly, asking them to budge. And it worked! We finally heard from TK Maxx the night before our planned Blood Feather Award ceremony.
Regardless, we went ahead and delivered the award at their headquarters. It was THE red carpet event of the year.
– committing to credibly excluding force feeding and live plucking from its down products. Thanks to your incredible support, real change has been achieved!
Kindest regards,
Cordelia Britton
Head of Programmes
FOUR PAWS UK
P.S. Your support has encouraged Argos, the White Company, Selfridges, Debenhams and TK Maxx to commit to credibly excluding cruel practices such as live plucking and force feeding from the production of down used in bedding products. THANK YOU for making this campaign a success.
A march in London with guest speakers and surprises, it’s a Bank Holiday so please consider coming along to meet up and support, we will give voice to the animals!
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 