A number of major fashion brands—including Esprit, Gap Inc., and H&M Group—have cut ties with a major alpaca wool producer. High street retailer Marks & Spencer has also announced that it will phase out alpaca wool. This follows the release of an animal cruelty exposé.
Animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released the “first-of-its-kind” undercover investigation.
The exposé revealed instances of abuse documented at Mallkini. The Peruvian farm is the largest privately-owned alpaca wool producer in the world.
The footage shows workers holding crying alpacas by the ears. The workers roughly shear the animals with electric clippers. In the video, some alpacas vomit. Workers also slammed the alpacas onto tables. Some of the animals are pregnant.
After being shorn, the alpacas appear visibly cut up. Some appear to have deep wounds, some of which are bleeding. According to PETA, workers sewed the wounds up without using pain relievers.
