The research, published today in Conservation Science and Practice, reveals novel links between the global trade in donkey skins and the wildlife trade. The study, carried out by an interdisciplinary team from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), suggests that these two trades operate in parallel, creating new avenues and transportation pathways for wildlife trade.

Globally, wildlife is the basis of a multi-billion-dollar trade, much of which is legal, but an illegal component funds one of the most lucrative sectors of international crime. It is estimated that at least 20% of vertebrate species are affected by wildlife trade and overexploitation is a key driver of biodiversity loss, including for species such as rhino, pangolins and parrots.”