Animal Rights Activists Rail Against Snakeskin Products

Snakeskin Bags - www.dailymail.co.uk

The proliferation of snakeskin products this fashion season has earned the ire of animal rights activists, saying the use of snake skin is cruel, unregulated and is driving certain species towards extinction.

"The skins industry has been pushing itself as a fashion product for some time now. Then Vogue puts it in the magazine and it is fashionable" says Clifford Warwick, a reptile expert and a consultant biologist with the Animal Protection Agency.

Donna Karan, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent, Mulberry, Roberto Cavalli and Gucci are just some of the fashion labels which have recently been using animal skins in their shoes and accessories. Some celebrities were also mentioned, particularly Eva Longoria and Kylie Minogue, who was spotted carrying a Zagliani python handbag at a Prince concert last week.

While the extinction claim is subject to debate, there is no question about the cruelty of the snake-skinning process. Warwick described the process as such:

"With the bigger snakes the tanners don't want to cut the head off so they nail it to a tree. Then they force a hose pipe down its throat and blow it up like a balloon to make the skin easier to peel off. They throw the snake's body away - while it is still alive - where it can survive in agony for up to two days."

Now that’s gruesome.

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