Fashion And Fur
The Facts about the Fur Trade
http://www.advocatesforanimals.org.uk/resources/lifestyle/furtrade.html
How many animals are killed by the fur trade each year?
Every year, over 50 million animals are killed so that their fur can be used by the fashion industry; that's more that 130,000 animals slaughtered every day just so that someone else can wear their coats. Worldwide, more than 30 million animals are bred and killed on intensive fur farms with a further 20 million trapped and killed in the wild.
The fur industry goes to great lengths to hide the horrendous cruelty involved, but many undercover investigations have produced detailed evidence showing the terrible suffering of these animals, both in the way they are kept and in the way they are killed.
How did fur farming originate?
As wild populations of fur-bearing animals declined and disappeared due to trapping, animals were caught live in order to breed them in captivity. This originated in Canada at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, fur farms can be found across the world, with large numbers in Scandinavia, Russia and the USA.
Which animals are bred for their fur?
The two species most commonly bred for their fur are the North American mink and the arctic fox, although other animals including chinchillas, raccoons and rabbits are also used.
How are the animals kept?
Animals are kept in long rows of barren wire cages in open-sided sheds. A typical cage for a mink measures 24" long by 10" wide, whilst an arctic fox will be confined in a cage measuring on average 40" by 40". These barren prisons, scarcely bigger than the animals themselves, is where they will spend their entire lives.
How different is this to their lives in the wild?
In the wild, both mink and foxes are predatory animals with complex behaviour patterns. Mink will roam over territories of up to 3 square kilometres and spend most of their time close to...
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