Species Spotlight: Indian Grey Mongoose

OVERVIEW

Common name:  Indian Grey Mongoose

Scientific name:  Herpestes edwardsi

Range:  Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh

Conservation status:  Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, protected under Schedule II (Part II) of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, listed under Appendix III of CITES.

INFORMATION

The Indian Grey mongoose dwell in open forests, fields and cultivated lands, usually close to human habitation. They are short legged animals with long furry tails and claws that do not retract. Their coat of fur is thick and dense with a greyish colour. The average lifespan of a mongoose is around seven to twelve years and they are usually solitary hunters. The Indian Grey Mongoose feeds on small prey such as reptiles and birds and is known for its ability to combat snakes. The glycoprotein present in their bodies binds with the snake venom, making it harmless to the mongoose. The Indian Grey Mongoose is effective in controlling rodent population as well.

THREATS AND CONSERVATION

It has been estimated by the Wildlife Trust of India in 2002 said that around 50,000 mongooses are killed by poachers every year. In March, forest department officials in Kochi impounded around 14,000 brushes whose bristles were suspected to be made of mongoose hair.

Brushes made of mongoose hair are often smuggled to the US, the Middle East and European countries, according to reports by TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network and a strategic partner of the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which operates as a program division of WWF-India.

Brushes made of mongoose hair are often sold as sable or badger brushes to avoid legal troubles on having imported a banned product. Each mongoose produces about 40 gm of hair but when the hair is sorted, only 20 gm of hair is found usable for making paint brushes.

REFERENCES

1. https://www.wti.org.in/news/trade-in-mongoose-hair-illegal-from-today

2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Painting-brushes-made-from-mongoose-hair-seized-in-city/articleshow/46630889.cms

3. https://www.traffic.org/news/preserving-the-future-digital-campaign-illuminates-illegal-trade-in-non-charismatic-species/

4. https://support.wwfindia.org/lks/mongoose.html

5. https://www.britannica.com/animal/mongoose

6. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Herpestes_edwardsi/

About the author: Tarini Sharma is a fourth-year student from Symbiosis Law School, Pune.