A first-of-its-kind PETA US undercover investigation of Mallkini – the world’s largest privately owned alpaca farm in Peru – reveals that workers held struggling, crying alpacas by the ears as they were roughly shorn with electric clippers, causing some to vomit out of fear. Workers slammed the alpacas – some of whom were pregnant – onto tables, tied them to a medieval-looking restraining device, and pulled hard, nearly wrenching their legs out of their sockets. The quick, rough shearing left the animals cut up and bleeding from deep wounds, which were sewn up without adequate pain relief.
In response, Esprit is phasing out alpaca wool and, as a first step, Gap Inc (which owns Banana Republic, Athleta, and other brands) and H&M Group (which owns eight brands) have cut ties with Mallkini’s parent company, the Michell Group, which is the leading exporter of alpaca fibre. PETA US is asking Peruvian authorities to investigate Mallkini for possible violations of the country’s animal protection laws.
“This investigation pulled back the curtain on violent shearing that leaves alpacas bleeding and crying out,” says PETA spokesperson Emily Rice. “We urge all retailers to protect these vulnerable animals by banning alpaca wool and are calling on consumers to leave these cruelly produced items on the rack.”
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – notes that in addition to causing gentle alpacas immense suffering, the production of alpaca wool is also terrible for the planet. The Higg Materials Sustainability Index ranked alpaca wool as the second most environmentally damaging material after silk, noting that it’s six times as harmful as polyester and more than four times as damaging as modal, viscose, rayon, lyocell, acrylic, and other vegan materials.
Photos of the investigation are available here, and broadcast-quality footage is available here. PETA opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.au.
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When animals are seen as nothing more than commodities to be turned into sweaters and scarves, cruelty will always be part of the picture. The only truly ethical fashion choices are vegan.
I will never buy or wear alpaca wool. Abusing alpacas for their hair is barbaric and immoral.
This is just one of the many reasons why I only wear vegan clothing. No one should abuse animals for clothing or any other reasons.
Awful awful awful. There are so many cruelty-free materials; why are people still killing animals??
This is horrifying and yet another example of how animals invariably suffer when they are used as commodities. Wearing animals is inexcusable, especially since we have endless other ways to keep warm and be fashionable.