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When we studied about sustainable development, we understood using resources in a way that our future generations do not get affected. Along with human beings sustaining life for their own kind, they were also expected to do the same for animals.


But a recently conducted operation uncovered brutal details about the extent of illegal animal trade in India, proving we don’t care about wildlife.

Current Hunt

During one ‘Operation Clean Art’, officials seized 54,352 paintbrushes made out of mongoose hair. 


According to Quartz India, 113 kilograms of raw mongoose hair was also seized before the local police arrested 43 people connected to this barbaric case of trafficking. 

Quartz India

This was the 28th such raid conducted by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) with assistance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MOEFandCC). 


Along with this, law enforcement officials knocked down doors of multiple factories and warehouses across six Indian states with the help of the CBI. 

The News Minute

The illegal trade, raking in millions of dollars every month is expected to be behind the killing of 100,000 mongooses in India every year. 


HV Girisha, regional deputy director, WCCB, who was part of the operations said: 

For every kilogram of mongoose hair that is used in brushes, about 50 animals are killed. This is because only about 20 grams of good hair comes from every mongoose. We are doing our best to disrupt the supply and production network but unfortunately awareness about this wildlife crime is low and as long as there is a demand, there will be people killing mongoose for their hair.
National Geographic

Centres in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu were targeted and a total of 27 raids were made in 2019.


In the last 3 years approximately 280 kg loose mongoose hair has been recovered along with 1,96,297 brushes, which tells us how animal species are used by humans for their selfish needs.

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