In this day and age, as a responsible consumer, there are so many things to look out for. When trying to live a cruelty-free life, being aware of the providence of the goods you buy cannot be overstated. Many people are waking up to this sad fact: we can’t trust that the things we buy are manufactured in an ethical way.
As the saying goes… folks love the sizzle and they love the taste, but no one wants to know how the sausage is made. For a long time, brands and manufacturers have been lulling us into a false sense of “don’t worry, we’ve got this handled”. But their ethics aren’t up to snuff. If we really knew how it was being “handled”, we might go another way.
Yes, the world has begun waking up to how the metaphorical sausage is made. People are taking a more active role in selecting the products they buy, and they’re doing it with an eye toward kindness. This new awareness is informing all manner of choices: Everything from choosing all-natural ingredients for the food they eat, to selecting cruelty-free products for use in all areas of their lives.
The Mongoose Paintbrush: NOT Cruelty-Free
Even art supplies are something to consider. If you’re a painter, you may already know that mongoose fur makes a great paintbrush. You may also be aware that the process by which that fur is obtained is unimaginably cruel… not to mention unnecessary. Synthetic brushes, it is agreed by many, are just as good. (1)
Since the early 1970s, mongooses have been protected in India. Since that time, the harvesting of them in any way (hunting, selling, buying) has been prohibited. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the black market.
Though no one can be too sure what the real numbers are in the illegal mongoose trade, Wildlife Trust of India has data from the early 2000s that shows about 50,000 mongooses being killed annually in order to support the black market for paintbrushes. (1)
“The production of mongoose-hair brushes is still ongoing,” says Jose Louies, of the Wildlife Trust of India. “The domestic trade is down, but international trade is what drives the trade. Mongoose brushes are considered fine brushes by artists across the world.” (1)
**Trigger warning: descriptions of animal violence**
When hunters are harvesting mongooses, they first trap them in a snare or net. Then they club them to death. After that, they pull the fur right out of the mongoose’s skin and reserve the meat for themselves. They sell the fur to an intermediary who sells it to illegal manufacturers. But, one mongoose produces just a small handful of fur.
A Synthetic Mongoose Paintbrush: Now We’re Talking!
It bears repeating that cruelty-free alternatives are available. Many brands have come up with their own mix of natural hair that is meant to mimic the coveted “not too rough, not too soft, just right” mongoose hair, while others have found a solution in 100% synthetic materials. Some artists insist there is nothing like the real thing, but there are plenty who are more than happy with the performance of a cruelty-free implement. (1)
The choice is up to each of us, to become conscious of what’s out there and to make decisions that align with our intentions in life, whatever those may be. When we know better we can do better, and that’s what this business of waking up is all about.
