Vienna/Bucharest, 29 November 2024 – Last month news about Romania becoming the 16th EU Member State banning fur farms by the end of 2026 has sent waves of hope through the world of animal lovers around the globe. Despite the reactions, the harsh reality is that there are still thousands of animals that will be killed for their fur. An undercover investigation from 2022 on Romanian Chinchilla farms shows images of animals being killed and skinned for the likes of luxury fashion as Chinchilla fur is considered to be one of the finest furs of all. Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS urges the EU Commission  on Fur Free Friday to follow suit and ban the cruel keeping, killing and skinning of animals.

In Romania, an EU country where fur farming of mink and chinchilla is still in place until the end of 2026, approximately 7,500 chinchilla pelts were produced last year. This marks a steep decline from earlier years, when figures amounted to 30,000 pelts annually for example in 2013. Nevertheless, with estimated 15,000 animals on the brink of being killed, the animal welfare infringements are still shocking.

Chinchillas account for one of the most valuable but delicate fur animals

Their fur is regarded as one of the finest among all fur animal species, and they have some of the densest fur. This fineness makes the fur comparatively sensitive and therefore is particularly sought after for luxury fur items.

Investigations undertaken in 2022 show footage of active Chinchilla fur farms in different Romanian counties with 500-800 animals on each farm. The animals are either sold alive or killed and skinned before their fur is sold. In the wild chinchillas are nocturnal herbivores, who naturally are highly sociable, live in colonies over 100 animals and often retreat into caves and hollows. On fur farms they are cramped into small wire-mesh cages that do not meet their social needs and restrict their natural behaviours such as dust bathing. Transcripts from these investigations revealed shocking consequences of this suffering, such as females devouring their offspring, animals losing fur because of stress and often falling ill.

“One coat for a hundred lives. Chinchilla fur farms trade luxury for unimaginable cruelty. To make a chinchilla fur coat, approximately 100 to 150 chinchillas are required. This high number is due to the small size of chinchillas. FOUR PAWS urges consumers to choose compassion over fashion and to renounce fur,” says Pietsch.

Background 

The European Citizen Initiative (ECI) Fur Free Europe was officially registered by the European Commission on 16 March 2022 and ran from 18 May 2022 until 1 March 2023. The ECI was submitted by a group of citizens from seven EU Member States. It aims to achieve an EU-wide ban on the keeping and killing of animals for the sole or main purpose of fur production, as well as placing farmed animal fur, and products containing such fur, on the EU market. The European Union is one of the main regions for fur production globally. Every year millions of animals (mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and Chinchillas) are legally confined in small wire mesh cages and killed to produce unnecessary, easily replaceable fur articles. FOUR PAWS’ mission is to advocate for an end to this cruel practice by introducing an EU-wide prohibition of fur farming.