How your closet became ground zero for a 2-billion-animal industry crisis.
That designer handbag might have a hidden cost you never considered. The fashion industry uses over 2 billion animals annually for materials like leather, fur, and exotic skins. From luxury brands caught with illegal wildlife products to reptile farms that kill animals at a fraction of their natural lifespan, the true price of fashion extends far beyond the price tag.
1. Over 2 billion animals are killed annually for fashion industry materials
In the Animal Welfare in Fashion Report 2020 by FOUR PAWS, it was estimated that over 2 billion animals are used in the wool, fur and leather industries. This staggering number includes everything from cattle and sheep to exotic species like crocodiles and kangaroos. The fashion industry treats these animals as raw materials rather than sentient beings.
Every year, billions of animals suffer and die for clothing and accessories. No matter the type of material or where it comes from, if the process involves an animal, it involves horrific cruelty. These aren’t just statistics—they represent individual animals that experienced fear, pain, and suffering for the sake of fashion.
2. The leather industry alone kills over 1 billion animals each year
Every year, the global leather industry slaughters more than a billion animals and tans their skins and hides. Many of these animals endure all the horrors of factory farming—including extreme crowding and confinement, deprivation, and unanesthetized castration, branding, and tail-docking. This makes leather one of the most animal-intensive materials in fashion.
Leather can be made from cows, pigs, goats, and sheep; exotic animals such as alligators, ostriches, and kangaroos; and even dogs and cats. The diversity of species used shows how the industry exploits any animal whose skin can be turned into a profitable product for handbags, shoes, and jackets.
3. Luxury brands had thousands of illegal wildlife products seized by authorities
A report finds that companies including Chanel, Gucci, and Coach had thousands of imported exotic leather goods seized by U.S. law enforcement from 2003 through 2013. Records show that 5,607 items of illegal wildlife products were seized at US ports between 2003 and 2013, destined for global fashion houses. Reptiles accounted for 84% of these seized items.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service seized nearly 200 reptile shipments between 2016 and the end of 2021, mostly leather goods from luxury fashion companies including Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. These seizures represent only the illegal goods that were caught—many more likely made it through customs undetected.
4. The fashion industry is tied to 70% of high-value wildlife trafficking
At least 70% of the top 10 highest-value wildlife products are associated with the fashion industry according to analysis by Faunalytics. Wild, or free-living animals, like all animal individuals, are sentient. They have the capacity to feel pain and fear, as much as they can pleasure and joy.
This connection between fashion and wildlife trafficking shows how consumer demand for exotic materials drives illegal hunting and trade. The fashion industry’s appetite for rare and unusual materials creates black market incentives that threaten wild animal populations worldwide.
5. Reptiles suffer enormously in legal and illegal fashion trade
The fashion industry treats reptiles as commodities, reducing their lives from 70+ years to just two to three short years, ending their lives in small, barren, plastic-lined pens. Reptiles that could live for decades in the wild are killed as juveniles for their skins. While reptiles suffer enormously in the legal fashion trade, many suffer also due to illegal trading.
Crocodile and alligator skin has featured in fashion for decades, but the industry is far from humane and ethical. These animals are powerless against environmental change, hunting and exploitation and are killed at a young age for luxury fashion accessories. The conditions on reptile farms are typically harsh and unnatural.
6. Millions of reptile products are imported for fashion annually
International trade data shows that 11.7 million products made from reptiles were imported into the U.S. from 2003 to 2013. The luxury fashion seizures reported represent just 48 out of every 100,000 imported items made from reptiles. This massive trade volume shows the scale of reptile exploitation for fashion.
The legal trade in exotic leather is enormous, with millions of items flowing through international markets annually. Even with regulatory oversight, the sheer volume makes it difficult to ensure ethical sourcing and animal welfare standards across all suppliers and farms.
7. Over 36% of all known reptile species are now in commercial trade
Researchers using automated web searches have documented the sale of reptiles online, revealing over 36% of all known reptile species are in trade, including many missing from official databases. This represents thousands of species being exploited commercially, many without proper regulation or oversight.
The widespread commercial exploitation of reptiles extends far beyond traditional leather species. The internet has made it easier to trade in rare and exotic species, often bypassing regulatory systems designed to protect endangered wildlife from overexploitation.
8. Hundreds of millions of sheep and goats are killed for wool production
Industry data shows 777 million cows, sheep, lambs, and goats are slaughtered for meat and leather, while 672 million animals including merino sheep, cashmere goats, alpaca, angora goats and rabbits are used for the production of fine wools. The wool industry is massive in scale, with hundreds of millions of animals affected annually.
Even though wool doesn’t always require killing the animal, the industry practices often lead to premature death through poor conditions, rough handling, and the economic pressure to maximize fiber production over animal welfare. Many wool animals are slaughtered when their productivity declines.
9. Fashion production contributes to climate change and environmental destruction
In addition to causing the suffering and deaths of millions of animals each year, the production of wool, fur, and leather contributes to climate change, land devastation, pollution, and water contamination. The environmental impact extends beyond individual animal suffering to ecosystem-wide damage.
Animal agriculture for fashion materials requires vast amounts of land, water, and energy while producing significant greenhouse gas emissions. The tanning process for leather involves toxic chemicals that pollute waterways and harm both wildlife and human communities near processing facilities.
10. Many exotic leather trade operations lack proper oversight
Evidence shows that rates of seizure of wildlife goods by US Customs were exceptionally low, at 0.4% of shipments, and decreasing rather than increasing. The low seizure rate suggests that most illegal or questionable wildlife products make it through customs undetected.
The complex international supply chains for exotic materials make it difficult for authorities to track the source and legality of animal products. This lack of oversight allows illegal and unethical practices to continue largely unchecked throughout the global fashion industry.
11. Some conservation efforts exist but face significant challenges
In 1971, there were only about 5,000 saltwater crocodiles and 500 adults in Australia’s Northern Territory, but now there are about 100,000 in the NT and 175,000 nationwide according to wildlife experts. Some sustainable farming programs have helped certain species recover while supplying the fashion industry.
However, these success stories are limited to a few well-managed programs. Most exotic animal farming for fashion operates under poor conditions with minimal oversight, and wild populations continue to face pressure from illegal harvesting to supplement farmed animals.
12. Consumer demand drives the continued exploitation of wildlife
The fundamental issue remains consumer demand for animal-derived fashion products. As long as people are willing to pay premium prices for exotic leather goods, fur trim, and other animal materials, the fashion industry will continue to exploit wildlife. There is nothing “natural” about clothing made from animals’ skin or fur.
The good news is that sustainable alternatives are becoming more available and affordable. Lab-grown leather, synthetic furs, and plant-based materials can provide the luxury aesthetic without the animal cruelty. Consumer choices have the power to drive industry change toward more ethical practices.