The West Bengal Forest Department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), East wing, seized 32,985 mongoose hair brushes from the Old China Bazaar area of Kolkata.
These brushes are primarily used for water colour. Across the globe using animal hair for making brushes is considered a crime and there are laws to deal to with it. At least 50 mongooses are killed to obtain one kilogram of mongoose hair.
Mongoose is the species in the 14 genera of the family Herpestidae, which are small feliform carnivorans native to southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. The other five species (all African) in the family are the four kusimanses in the genus Crossarchus, and the only species in the genus Suricata: Suricata suricatta, commonly called meerkat in English.
Herpestidae is placed within the suborder Feliformia, together with the cat, hyena, and civet families.
Mongoose is a protected species under Schedule II and part II of the Wildlife Protection Act,1972 and any trade of its body parts involves similar punishment as is laid down for tigers and rhinoceros. Those convicted face a minimum three years in jail.
Mongoose hair brushes are still manufactured in India and exported to other countries as artists like these brushes. Many artists use these brushes without knowing the fact that these brushes are illegal.
