Mongoose hair paint brushes seized in UP

Officials said around 3,000-3,500 mongoose were brutally killed to procure the hair for the paint brushes that were seized today. The mongoose is a highly endangered species and is on the Schedule 2 list of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Conservator of Forests Sunil Pandey said, ‘‘The Widlife Trust of India had informed us that mongoose hair paint brushes were being illegally manufactured in the factories. We, along with the WTI and local police, did a recce and worked on this information for a month before conducting the raid.’’

The factories have been identified as Wilson, A-One and Venus Brushes company. Wildlife Trust of India’s wild enforcement programme officer Dipankar Ghosh said they believe the seized brushes were made from the hair of the common mongoose and the ruddy mongoose, both protected animals.