People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia has released a behind the scenes look into the angora fur industry.
Angora fur can be found in sweaters and accessories, including those commonly sold in India. The video, shot by a PETA Asia investigator in China—the source of 90 percent of the world's angora fur — reveals workers violently ripping the fur out of rabbits' skin as the animals scream in pain.
After their fur is yanked out, the gentle, sensitive rabbits are left in shock, able only to lie motionless inside their tiny, filthy cages. After they endure this process every three months for two to five years, their throats are slit and their skin is ripped from their bodies. PETA India CEO Poorva Joshipura says, "PETA India is appealing to shoppers this winter. Please take the time to read the label on that sweater or scarf.
If it says 'angora,' remember the gentle rabbits whose fur was cruelly ripped out of their skin—and then leave the item on the rack." Rabbits who have their fur cut or sheared also suffer. During the cutting process, their front and back legs are tightly tethered — a terrifying experience for any prey animal — and the sharp cutting tools inevitably wound them as they struggle to escape.
All the rabbits spend their solitary lives in barren wire cages that harm their sensitive feet. They're denied solid flooring, bedding, and the vital companionship of other rabbits. In China, there are no penalties for animal abuse on rabbit farms and no standards that regulate the treatment of animals. Further information on the subject can be found on the PETA India website.