A person has been arrested in Maharashtra's Thane district and 13,206 paint brushes made from mongoose hair recovered from him, an official said on Saturday.
Chief Conservator of Forests Naresh Zurmure identified the accused as Mohammad Firoz Asabul Alam (32) and said the mongoose is a protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act.
"He was held from Mira Road after a raid on October 24 by forest department officials and personnel of the Wildlife Welfare Association and Wild Life Crime cell of Navi Mumbai," he said.
According to officials, mongoose hair brushes are preferred by artists because they are more resilient and found more suitable for strokes for oil and acrylic paintings.
However, it has spawned a large illegal trade resulting in the death of thousands of mongooses every year, they added.
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