Video of Chinese farmers ripping fur off live rabbits damages angora trade
A viral video of Chinese farmers ripping fur off live rabbits has sparked outrage, dealing a major blow to global angora trade, writes Andrea Chan
Many Chinese netizens were outraged when they saw a video clip of angora fur harvesting on a mainland rabbit farm, the animal screaming in pain as its hair is ripped out instead of being clipped or sheared.
"Whoever did it is a monster in human skin! I never thought the first time I'd learn what a rabbit sounded like would be to see it suffer," writes microblogger "mskkkkkay".
The horrific two-minute video, made by an undercover investigator for animal rights group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), soon went viral after it was posted on several social networks last month.
With celebrities such as Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu sharing the original post, the clip recorded more than 142,000 views and 40,000 reposts within a month of it being uploaded on mainland video site Youku.
Video: Chinese farms torture angora rabbits for fur: PETA
(Graphic Warning)
Shocked and angry netizens have called for a boycott of angora wool, while some reposted the clip to Rabbit Wool Forum, a chat room for mainland rabbit farmers.