Will the next global pandemic be caused by the fur industry? Scientists are seriously concerned about the possible spread of zoonotic diseases due to the large number of fur farms in China. Thousands of foxes, raccoon dogs and minks are kept together in small cages until they are eventually shocked with electric shocks or killed by hard blows. The potential risk of transmitting the infection from animals to humans is real, according to a recent study.
At the end of 2023, animal welfare organization Humane Society International (HSI) investigated five fur farms in the northern provinces of Hebei and Liaoning in China. This involves large-scale production. Each of the facilities held between two thousand and four thousand individuals for their fur, including mainly foxes, raccoon dogs and mink. The installations were located very close to poultry farms. This means there is a real risk of zoonotic diseases spreading.
Biosafety
HSI’s investigation report shows that huge quantities of frozen food were found in the installations. Fish, chicken, liver, egg and milk powder are ground into a paste to provide food for the fur-bearing animals. This is despite the warning from EU experts against the use of raw chicken meat as feed for animals in fur farms.
The report also shows that keepers of these breeding farms do not carry out regular maintenance. This means that the installations are not thoroughly disinfected on a regular basis. The reason for this is said to be a lack of financial resources. Visiting lecturer at Surrey University’s Veterinary School Alastair MacMillan said after seeing the HSI footage that the large number of animals in intensive livestock farms poses an increased risk of transmitting a virus to other animals and to humans through airborne droplets :
“As a veterinary microbiologist, I am deeply concerned about the apparent lack of biosecurity and risk of bird flu transmission due to chickens and ducks moving freely between cages containing raccoon dogs. This shows an easy transmission route via direct contact or via fecal contamination.”
Global pandemic
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, hundreds of cases of COVID-19 and bird flu have been reported in fur farms. As a result, thousands of animals have been killed as a precaution. According to MacMillan, fur-bearing animals are extra vulnerable to respiratory infections that humans are also susceptible to. MacMillan:
“Cases of bird flu have already been documented on European fur farms and the proximity of different animal species significantly increases the risk of transmission from birds to mammals.”
Animal suffering
The fur-bearing animals found in the five farms studied showed clear behavior of mental decline and other consequences of long-term confinement. Researcher Xiao Chen expresses horror at the miserable conditions the animals find themselves in:
“The fur farms we visited were typical of fur farms across China, where animals are unfortunately kept in cramped, bare cages. These animals are naturally curious, energetic animals, but they have been reduced to this sad existence in a wire cage with nowhere to go and nothing to do. They express repetitive, aimless movements because of the psychological problems they experience. I can’t imagine their frustration and boredom, all to produce something as trivial as fur fashion.”
Killing fur-bearing animals
In addition to the unhygienic and very animal-unfriendly environment in which the fur animals live, they also suffer a gruesome death. According to experts, the most common method of killing these animals is to administer electric shocks through the mouth or rectum. Alternative methods of killing include hitting the mink heads against metal plates, or hacking at the animals with clubs.
Raccoon dog meat
HSI researchers discovered that raccoon dog meat was on the menu at a local eatery. About 42 raccoon dogs are cooked, fried and marinated for human consumption at this restaurant per day. MacMillan emphasizes the danger of transmission of zoonotic diseases.
In addition to the meat, there is also a market for the carcasses in the region. These carry a price tag of about 2 to 3 yuan per kilogram, an average of about 30 euro cents.
Less fur
Finally, the sharp decline in fur production in China is a positive point. China’s Fur and Leather Industry Association predicts a decline of 50 percent between 2022 and 2023, and as much as 90 percent in the past decade. In addition, HSI confirms the closure of several small to medium-sized fur farms that previously operated in the area. The reason for this is said to be poor sales of fur. This trend is reflected, among other things, in high-quality designer labels that ban the material from their collections and publicly speak out about this. Dr. Peter Li, China policy expert at HSI:
“Due to the rejection of fur by so many designers and consumers, fur farming in China has declined dramatically in recent years. But the end of this cruel, environmentally damaging and dangerous industry cannot come soon enough.”
Sources:
©AnimalsToday.nl Jennie Cools
