Donkeys decreasing in Egypt due to increased modernization, hide export

CAIRO - 12 May 2025: The number of donkeys has declined in Egypt from 3 million donkeys to less than a million in just a few years, head of the Farmers Syndicate Hussein Abu Saddam said Thursday. 

Donkeys, intelligent and resilient animals, are a vital link in maintaining ecological balance, and their use reduces environmental pollution caused by modern transportation and agricultural machinery.

The primary reason for their decline  is modernization that has led farmers to replace donkeys in transportation, trade, and agriculture with modern machinery such as cars, tractors, and other equipment.

The low price of donkeys, which ranges from L.E. 5,000 to 15,000 tempts some people to slaughter them for sale. Its meat and hide, which are exported for about $300, are worth many times more than the donkey itself. 

With the rising cost of caring for and feeding donkeys, farmers are getting rid of them by selling them, especially that more roads than ever have been paved and rough roads that once required donkeys are disappearing. 

Abu Saddam called for the necessity of banning the slaughter of donkeys except for necessity and halting the export of their hides, urging animal welfare associations to preserve this important animal from extinction.