Operation ‘Clean Art’ to Crackdown on Illegal Trade in Mongoose Hair | 02 Dec 2019
Why in News
Recently, there has been a widespread crackdown on factories making paint brushes with mongoose hair across the country.
Key points.
- Brushes made of mongoose hair are preferred because they are superior and hold colour better.
- Mongoose is listed in Schedule II Part 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and any smuggling or possession of its body part is a non-bailable offence.
- IUCN Red List status- Least Concerned.
- All six species are listed on CITES Appendix III with a zero quota for commercial trade.
- There are six species of mongoose found in India- Indian grey mongoose, Small Indian mongoose, Ruddy mongoose, Crab-eating mongoose, Stripe-necked mongoose and Brown mongoose.
- The Indian grey mongoose is the most commonly found species and also the most hunted.
Operation Clean Art
- It was the first pan India operation to crackdown on the smuggling of mongoose hair in the country.
- It was conceived by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) with the singular aim of ensuring that the mongoose hair brush trade should be closed down across the country.