The non-governmental organization (NGO) World Animal Protection, in partnership with Collective Fashion Justice, conducted an investigation that exposed the cruel treatment of live ostriches destined for the creation of high fashion articles.
The investigation documented situations where workers surrounded the ostriches, covered their heads with bags, and subsequently cut and plucked their feathers without providing any type of anesthetic.
The collected images are part of a document called 'Blood Feathers,' which analyzes the living conditions on commercial ostrich farms and feather processing facilities located in South Africa.
This country is responsible for about 75% of the global ostrich market, with its industry generating meat, leather, and feathers. According to the research findings, South African farms and factories supply feathers to major luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Chanel, as well as the Asian fashion company Shein.
On certain properties, the procedure involves cutting the feathers above the bloodline—that is, while they are still growing and vascularized—before removing them from the animals' skin using tweezers. This removal cycle occurs on some birds every six months, as reported by the organization. The presence of blood in the quill of these feathers gave rise to the name 'blood feathers.'
The report points out that despite this method being presented as an alternative to plucking live birds, the investigation proved that the process causes great suffering to the involved ostriches.
Additionally, the research recorded injured ostriches, including individuals who showed an inability to stand, and others presenting lesions resulting from bites to the eyes and feathers.
