Shhh.... 10 Secret Facts of the Fur Trade

Kelis head to toe in fur
(Image courtesy of thisis50.com)
                      If Celebrities knew the dark secrets of the fur trade would 
                                           they wrap themselves up in it? 
1. More than 50 million animals are savagely killed each year for the sake of the fashion industry.
2. Producing a real fur coat from farm raised animals takes 20 times more energy to produce than a fake fur garment. It is also a damage to wildlife and the environment; land destruction and reductions in populations of wild or endangered species who are accidentally trapped and killed.


Jennifer Lopez sporting a real fur cape
(Image courtesy of thisislondon.co.uk)
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3. Over half of the worlds fur comes from China, and there are over 6,000 fur farms in the EU.
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4. Killing over three million farm raised mink a year, the USA is the fifth largest mink-producing country worldwide.
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5. It takes over 150 chinchilla to produce one fur jacket.  By the end of the 19th century chinchillas were becoming rare, until eleven were captured and taken to the USA for breeding.

Chris Brown wearing a full length fur coat
(Image courtesy of vibe.com)
6. Farm animals will be killed by anything from gassing and beating, to being slit by their necks, being skinned alive or from anal electrocution.

7. Astrakhan is a type of fur made from the skins of baby lambs. This fur is at its best quality when lambs are born prematurely, which results in farmers aborting lambs before they are born so that they may skin the animal when the 'quality' is at its best.

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Kanye West dripping in fur
(Image courtesy of sohh.com)
8.Between 2003 and 2005 nearly a million harp seals were authorised to be killed in the Canadian seal hunt, many for their fur.
9. Many European countries are banning fur farming due to the realisation that it's impossible to raise animals for fur in captivity, ensure their welfare and conserve their financial viability.
10. The United Nations reported 1 billion rabbits are killed for fur each year; this fur is not a byproduct of the meat industry. Rabbits raised for meat are killed before they reach 12 months, whereas the fur industry demands the thicker pelt of an older animal.