A new investigation has documented what animal welfare groups describe as disturbing treatment of ostriches on South African farms supplying feathers to the fashion industry.
World Animal Protection and Collective Fashion Justice say rare footage captured during their investigation shows a male ostrich being cornered, having a bag placed over its head and its feathers cut and forcibly pulled from its skin with pliers, without pain relief.
The findings are detailed in a new report, Blood Feathers, which focuses on South Africa, where an estimated 75 per cent of the world’s ostrich products are produced.
Investigators said they found evidence that some ostriches are live-plucked approximately every six months. They also reported seeing injured birds, including ostriches that appeared unable to stand and birds with wounds caused by pecking.
The investigation found links between farms and feather-processing facilities in the region and major fashion brands. The report does not establish that products from those companies came from the specific farms investigated.
The groups are also challenging claims that ostrich feathers used in fashion are primarily collected through natural moulting.
According to the report, around 150,000 ostriches were slaughtered in South Africa during the 2024/25 season for the feather, meat and skin trades, while more than 150 tonnes of feathers were exported.
“Pulling feathers from a living bird with pliers is not natural, humane or acceptable,” said Edith Kabesiime, Wildlife Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection.
The organisation has submitted a complaint to South Africa’s National Council of SPCAs, asking it to consider an investigation under the Animals Protection Act.
Consumer polling commissioned by World Animal Protection found that 47 per cent of respondents across the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand believed ostrich feathers were collected during natural shedding, while only 16 per cent believed live birds were plucked. After being informed about the reported practices, 83 per cent said farming and killing ostriches for fashion should be banned.
Some fashion businesses and events have already introduced policies restricting ostrich feathers.
Selfridges, Wolf & Badger, ASOS and GANNI have adopted policies protecting ostriches, while fashion weeks in Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam and Australia have introduced wildlife-friendly measures that include ostrich-feather bans.
The campaign groups are calling on fashion brands, retailers and fashion-week organisers to phase out ostrich feathers and other materials derived from wild animals, pointing to emerging plant-based and synthetic alternatives.
