Horrifying reality of fur trade revealed in undercover investigation

The horrifying reality of the fur trade has been revealed in footage from the biggest ever undercover investigation on European fur farms.

The chilling exposé titled ‘This is Fur Farming within the EU’ lays naked the grim actuality of fur manufacturing unit farming throughout six EU nations.

The harrowing materials, captured by unbiased animal rights investigators in additional than 100 farm visits, reveals animals together with mink, foxes and raccoon canine in disturbing situations.

Wounded animals will be seen battling to outlive in cages coated in faeces, with some infested with maggots or lacking patches of fur, eyes and limbs.

Images additionally present canine concerned in cannibalistic acts and our bodies piled up in containers.

The footage was launched solely to animal safety teams Oikeutta eläimille and Humane Society International. 

Kristo Muurimaa, from Oikeutta eläimille, mentioned: ‘EU leaders should open their eyes to the horrifying struggling of animals on fur farms. There isn’t any humane option to produce fur, so for so long as fur farming practices proceed, extra stunning photos like this can inevitably emerge. It’s time to finish this merciless trade for good.’

Animal welfare issues from the investigation included cannibalism amongst mink, who’re naturally solitary animals; injured and deceased animals locked in cages alongside different animals; animals with seen bloody accidents, with some lacking limbs, tails, or ears; severe eye infections; and disturbing situations of self-mutilation.

The investigation came about throughout farms in Finland, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Spain, and Denmark.

Across all the farms, animals have been discovered housed in small, barren and unsanitary cages during which incidences of cannibalism have been regularly documented and injured, useless and dying animals have been found alongside their cage mates. 

The extent of animal struggling and welfare violations of EU Directive 98/58/EC, in regards to the safety of animals stored for farming functions, was constant throughout all nations and farms, in accordance with Humane Society International.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs at Humane Society International/Europe, mentioned: ‘This stunning investigation reveals that the EU’s fur farms expose animals to unspeakable struggling and have to be banned. 

‘This damning proof reveals that irrespective of which EU nation you have a look at, animals on fur farms are being subjected to distress that our EU leaders ought to be ashamed of. 

‘The European Commission has a transparent alternative to finish this appalling trade and we urge it to take action swiftly and decisively by delivering a proposal to ban fur farming within the EU.’

It comes because the European Commission is contemplating its response to a 1.5 million signature European Citizens’ Initiative petition calling for an EU-wide ban on fur farming.

Twenty European nations, together with 15 Member States, have already launched bans, nonetheless an estimated 10 million fur-bearing animals are nonetheless bred for fur trend yearly throughout Europe.

Around 100 million animals a yr are used for fur globally, with round 10 million mink, foxes and raccoon canine reared and killed on fur farms throughout Europe alone in 2021. 

Twenty European nations have banned fur farming. 

Two additional nations – Switzerland and Germany – have applied strict rules which have successfully ended fur farming and three different nations – Denmark, Sweden and Hungary – have imposed measures which have ended the fur farming of sure species.

Most of the world’s main designers have launched fur-free insurance policies together with all Kering’s six trend manufacturers — Saint Laurent, Brioni, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta — in addition to names together with Valentino, Prada, Armani, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry and Chanel.

Mink on greater than 480 mink fur farms throughout 13 nations have been discovered contaminated with COVID-19, and the potential for zoonotic illness unfold on fur farms has been acknowledged by the World Health Organisation.

In October 2022, an outbreak of extremely pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) on a mink fur farm in Spain led influential virologists to name it ‘a warning bell’ for the observe to be ended instantly. 

In current months, the Finnish authorities have ordered the killing of just about 300,000 foxes, mink and raccoon canine because of public well being issues following outbreaks of the virus on greater than 30 fur farms within the nation.

Leading virologists have lately warned of the general public well being risk posed by fur farming and known as on governments to ‘contemplate the mounting proof suggesting fur farming be eradicated within the curiosity of pandemic preparedness’.