Investigation: Ostrich Feathers for Luxury Fashion Pulled Out With Pliers
New York – September 23, 2026 -- World Animal Protection, working with Collective Fashion Justice, has released a new investigation called Blood Feathers, documenting undercover footage of ostrich feather farms in South Africa cutting feathers above the bloodline and later pulling them out with pliers.
South Africa produces 75% of the world's ostrich products, including feathers, meat and skin. In the 2024-25 season, 150,000 ostriches were slaughtered there for these trades, and more than 150 tonnes of feathers were exported globally.
Farms confirmed supplying feathers to YSL, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel and Shein
Investigators identified farms and processing facilities in the region that confirmed supplying feathers to these luxury houses and to fast-fashion retailer Shein. At one farm, birds were live-plucked every six months, a practice the industry itself refers to as producing 'blood feathers' because of the bleeding it causes.