Mongoose: A Victim of Its ‘Fine Hairs’!

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The innocent mongoose (neula) has been the victim of smugglers over the years, without much knowledge among the masses. Maybe, all attention has been drawn to the smuggling of gecko, pangolin, rhino horn, ivory and the like.

It’s a wrong notion to say that snakes are the main enemies of mongoose. In fact, smugglers have been the prime enemies of mongoose for centuries. The fine hairs that adorn the fur of mongoose have turned out to be the greatest enemy for this innocent animal. If gecko, pangolin, rhino horn etc are smuggled for their traditional medicinal value in China, mongoose is smuggled only for its stiff hair that is used for making the fine brush for artists, sources in the WCCB (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau) said. They say that mongoose is smuggled in large-scale from Northeast India to South India, mainly for making fine brushes for artists. WCCB sleuths have already detected two cases of artists’ brushes made up of mongoose hair in Guwahati.

Among other animals, a snake being smuggled from almost everywhere in the country to Maharashtra is the Sand Boa – that have diverse colours. There is a belief among a section of people that taming a Sand Boa at home keeps intact inflow of cash to the house. WCCB sleuths caught two Sand Boas from a house at Bongaigaon in Assam. The two snakes have been released in the Manas Tiger Project recently.

Most of the tiger skin being smuggled from the Northeast goes to Nepal. According to WCCB sources, this also has its connection to a belief. It is used during marriages for a particular ritual. From February to May every year the smuggling of tiger skin reaches its peak.

Also Read: Smuggling of dogs to Mizoram from Tripura on the rise