THE Adlife Protection Act, 1991, bans
the trade of wild animals and its related
products. Despite this, a trade in antlers
of sambar and cheetal is still continuing
with the official sanction in Uttar
Pradesh. Sources say that a number of
forest divisions have been identified
from where the shed antlers can be collected.
All deer species shed their antlers
annually which are replaced by new ones. The shed antlers are largely made
of calcium and are eaten by porcupines
whose faecal matter contains a high level
of the substance. This faecal matter
enriches the soil considerably.
The collection of antlers reduces
the calcium content in the soil. This
has also encouraged poaching, as
there are hardly any officers at the
collection sites to ascertain whether
the collected antlers are shed ones
or have been procured after killing
the deer. Sources say that the licensed
dealers of these centres in all probability collect the antlers from national
parks where the population of the deer is high.
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