The horrific truth about the fur industry is revealed through footage from the biggest undercover investigation ever, involving dozens of farms where animals were cannibalized, limbs gnawed off and maggot-infested wounds left.

The horrific truth about the fur industry has been revealed in footage from the biggest ever undercover investigation into European fur farms.

The horrifying exposé titled “This is fur farming in the EU” reveals the grim reality of the fur industry in six EU countries.

The disturbing footage, captured by independent animal rights researchers during more than 100 farm visits, shows animals such as minks, foxes and raccoon dogs in a distressing state.

You may see injured animals struggling to survive in cages covered in excrement, some infested with maggots or missing patches of fur, eyes and limbs.

Images also show dogs engaged in cannibalistic acts and corpses stacked in containers.

You can see injured animals in cages fighting for survival. The moving footage was captured during more than a hundred farm visits by independent animal rights researchers

The footage was shared exclusively with animal protection groups Oikeutta elamille and Humane Society International.

Kristo Muurimaa from Oikeutta eläimille said: “EU leaders must open their eyes to the terrible suffering of animals on fur farms.” There is no human way to produce fur. As long as fur farming continues, even more shocking images like this will inevitably emerge. It is time to finally put an end to this cruel industry.”

Animal welfare concerns raised by the research include cannibalism in minks, which are solitary animals by nature; injured and dead animals kept in cages with other animals; Animals with visible bloody injuries, missing some limbs, tails or ears; serious eye infections; and disturbing cases of self-harm.

The research took place on farms in Finland, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Spain and Denmark.

On all farms, animals were found in small, bare and unsanitary cages, with frequent cases of cannibalism documented and injured, dead and dying animals discovered next to their cage mates.

The creatures seen in the images are kept in disturbing conditions

A white mink with part of its face missing

Pile of corpses in a container

A white mink is missing an eye

The video shows animals missing large chunks of fur

A researcher on one of the farms investigated

A wounded white mink

A dog lacks an eye

A white mink missing its nose

A wild white mink

A white mink is missing a claw

According to Humane Society International, the level of animal suffering and violations of the EU Directive 98/58/EC on the protection of farm animals was consistent across all countries and farms.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs at Humane Society International/Europe, said: “This shocking research shows that fur farming in the EU causes unprecedented suffering for animals and must be banned.”

“This damning evidence shows that, no matter which EU country you look at, animals on fur farms are subjected to suffering that our EU leaders should be ashamed of.”

“The European Commission has a clear opportunity to put an end to this abhorrent industry and we call on it to do so swiftly and decisively by presenting a proposal to ban fur farming in the EU.”

It comes as the European Commission considers its response to a petition from the European citizens’ initiative with 1.5 million signatures calling for an EU-wide ban on fur farming.

Twenty European countries, including fifteen member states, have already introduced bans. However, according to Humane Society International, an estimated 10 million fur-bearing animals are still bred in Europe each year for fur fashion.

Around 100 million animals are used for fur worldwide every year, and in 2021 alone around 10 million mink, foxes and raccoon dogs will be raised and killed on fur farms across Europe.

Twenty European countries have banned fur farming.

On one of the farms, minks are kept in cramped conditions

A row of cages on one of the farms

A white mink with facial deformity

A wounded white mink

A wounded white mink

A dead white mink in a cage

A dead animal in one of the cages

A wounded white mink

Two other countries – Switzerland and Germany – introduced strict regulations that ended fur farming, and three other countries – Denmark, Sweden and Hungary – introduced measures that ended fur farming of certain species.

Most of the world’s leading designers have adopted fur-free policies, including all six Kering fashion brands – Saint Laurent, Brioni, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta – as well as names such as Valentino, Prada, Armani, Versace, Dolce & Co Gabbana, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry and Chanel.

Mink have been found to be infected with COVID-19 on more than 480 mink farms in 13 countries, and the World Health Organization has recognized the potential for zoonotic diseases to spread on fur farms.

In October 2022, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) at a mink farm in Spain led influential virologists to call it a “warning signal” and immediately end the practice.

In recent months, Finnish authorities have ordered the culling of nearly 300,000 foxes, mink and raccoon dogs over public health concerns following outbreaks of the virus at more than 30 fur farms in the country.

Leading virologists recently warned of the threat to public health posed by fur farming and called on governments to “consider the growing evidence that fur farming should be phased out in the interest of pandemic preparedness.”