Fur
It is estimated that about 80-100 million animals are killed by the clothing and fur trades every year. This figure includes:
- Over 323,000 trapped raccoon
- Over 145,000 trapped sable
- Over 40,000,000 farmed mink
- Over 4,850,000 farmed fox
- Over 5,000,000 wild fox (165,000 trapped red fox in Australia)
- Over 4,000,000 kangaroos
All figures from International Pelt Auction sources 1988.
Farmed Animals
The majority of animal skins used in the fur trade come from farms. But don't imagine idyllic scenes of green pastures – fur farming means factory farming.
Intensive farming creates its own problems. Animals display obvious signs of suffering deprivation – pacing and weaving (attempts to get away) and deformed feet (due to unsuitable flooring).
Mink (described as the trade's "bread and butter") are crammed two or three at a time into cages in never-ending rows, with floors made of thin wire mesh. They are deliberately exposed to icy winds and cold to promote faster growth of their fur. All these animals can do is wait for their premature death by injection, gassing, electrocution or having their necks broken (all attempts are made to preserve the pelt).
Trapped animals
The most widely used trap in the world in the "steel jawed trap". This vicious apparatus has steel jaws which snap shut when pressure is applied to the footplate. The jaws close biting into the flesh, tearing ligaments and shattering bones. Some animals are trapped across the back, others are caught by the neck. Traps are unable to discriminate and for every one of the millions of trapped animals, tens and even hundreds of non-saleable or "trash" animals are caught. ("Trash" animals include dogs, cats, owls, porcupines, ducks, swans, even turtles – perhaps even endangered species).
Somewhere in the world a trap snaps shut on an animal every second.
Trapped animals may spend days and even weeks in the traps before they are killed by starvation, freezing, predation or the trapped. Some animals (particularly nursing mothers) suffer so much terror and pain that they chew off their own limbs to escape. (This is known as "ring off").
"Hidden" fur
Some products may not seem like fur but are. For example, the famous Australian Akubra hat is made from rabbit fur felt. Also, be aware of fur trim on gloves and even keyrings.
The fur trade is particularly vulnerable to public boycotts. You can help millions of animals by refusing to buy and wear fur and by boycotting the stores where they are sold.
Fur Statistics
| Number of animals used for fur world-wide |
| Farmed world-wide |
27,790,000 |
| Farmed Mink |
24,100,000 |
| Farmed Fox |
3,400,000 |
| Farmed Polecat |
100,000 |
| Farmed Raccoon Dog |
90,000 |
| Other: Chinchilla, Coypu, Sable, Lynx etc. |
100,000 (est.) |
| Trapped world-wide |
7,559,303 |
| Trapped US |
2,500,000 |
| Trapped Canada |
1,059,303 |
| Trapped Russia |
4,000,000 |
| Trapped elsewhere |
1,000,000 (est.) |
| Number of animals used in one fur coat |
| Calf |
6-8 |
|
Puma |
6-8 |
| Foal |
6-8 |
|
Seal |
6-10 |
| Lynx |
8-12 |
|
Badger |
10-12 |
| Otter |
10-16 |
|
Fox |
10-20 |
| Ocelot |
12-18 |
|
Dog |
15-20 |
| Bobcat |
16-22 |
|
Kangaroo |
20-30 |
| Domestic cat |
20-30 |
|
Lamb |
25-45 |
| Coypu (Nutria) |
26-34 |
|
Raccoon |
30-40 |
| Mink |
30-70 |
|
Rabbit |
30-40 |
| Polecat |
45-55 |
|
Marten |
50-60 |
| Sable |
60-70 |
|
Skunk |
60-70 |
| Chinchilla |
30-200 |
|
Squirrel |
200-400 |
Source: Rauchwarenhandbuch, Germany
Species trapped for fur
Arctic Fox, Badger, Beaver, Black Bear, Bobcat, Chinchilla, Coyote, Coypu (Nutria), Gray Fox, Red Fox, Kit & Swift Fox, Silver Fox, Lynx, Fisher, Marten, Marmot, Mink, Muskrat, Otter, Ocelot, Opossum, Polecat, Rabbit, Raccoon, Raccoon Dog, Ring tail cat, Sable, Kolinsky, Striped Skunk, Spotted Skunk, Long-tailed Weasel, Short-tailed Weasel (Ermine), Squirrel, Wolf, Timber Wolf, Wolverine
Species farmed for fur
Mink, Fox, Raccoon dog, Polecat, Coypu, Chichilla
Countries that have banned the leghold trap
69 countries: Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, British West Indies, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe. (Note: Two countries NOT here.... Australia and USA.)
19 Countries have banned all traps, including the leghold trap: Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Burkina Faso
Source: Facts About Furs, EU Council Regulation No. 3254/91
