A worker pulls fur from a rabbit with its front legs tightly tethered. Photo: www.china.com.cn 

An explicit video showing Angora rabbits screaming while being sheared by villagers in China’s Shandong and Jiangsu Province has stirred heated discussions online regarding animal cruelty in China’s fur industry.

The video, shot by an official investigator for animal rights group PETA Asia-Pacific, shows workers yanking fur from rabbits as they scream in pain.

The rabbits are then returned to their cages with only their bare skin.

The Angora rabbits, prized for their soft fur, endure the process every three months for between two to five years before they are butchered and skinned, according to the video.

A luxury item, more than 90 percent of the Angora fur in the world is produced and processed in China.

Peta Aisa-Pacific contributed to this story

Web editor: yangruoyu@globaltimes.com.cn

A worker rips the fur from a rabbit' skin. Photo: www.china.com.cn

A worker rips the fur from a rabbit' skin. Photo: www.china.com.cn

A worker rips the fur from a rabbit' skin. Photo: www.china.com.cn

A worker rips the fur from a rabbit' skin. Photo: www.china.com.cn

A worker shears fur from a rabbit while grasping its ears. Photo: www.china.com.cn

A rabbit is locked in a cage after having its fur ripped from its skin. Photo: www.china.com.cn
 

A rabbit awaits searing at a fur processing facility. Photo: www.china.com.cn