Thread: Information on how badger hair is obtained

Some of you may have seen a thread on Badger & Blade that started with the posting of a video of an animal (which turned out to be a raccoon dog) being skinned alive in China. As a result, several of us were prompted to try to obtain information from shaving brush manufacturers and retailers on how hair from badgers is obtained.

A few people, such as Bernd Bloss of Shavemac, expressed genuine concern about the way badger hair is obtained. However, in general, the responses - and in particular from the British companies - showed considerable ignorance, indifference or both. Of all the responses, the one stand out was Mr Christian Mueller, Managing Director of Muhle Pinsel in Germany. From what I understand, his company also supplies Edwin Jagger which, in turn, supplies Crabtree & Evelyn.

Mr Mueller entered into lengthy correspondence with me and showed considerable compassion and professionalism. He travelled to China for business recently and promised to send me details of the information that he obtained. His email is reproduced below.

Cheers

Jeremy

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Content of email received from Mr Mueller 27 August 2008

I was promising to get back to you with details about my trip. I apologize that this took longer than I initially planned.

As mentioned, before I travelled China to source raw materials for our products and also visited some fur trader as well as hair dressing companies throughout the country. In prior I prepared a list of question that I sent out before my departure. Here is what I have been informed as well as found out myself. I have faced them with the video and stated that we cannot tolerate such practices at all. It is understandable that I cannot trace the line all the way back to the individual hunters but I did make clear that the responsibility is also on the traders who should pass on the information to the individuals. I stated that our main concern is the way they are being killed and that that this needs to be carried out as humanely as possible.

1. Are the animals taking from the wild or are they farm raised?

The animals are generally taking from the wild. Hunters can apply for a license to hunt a certain number of badgers. I have been told that there is a close season to guarantee the survival of the population. Badgers can not be farm raised due to their wild nature.

2. From which regions do the animals come from?

Northern regions of China such as Shaanxi, Gansu, Tsinghai, Sinkiang, Inner Mongolia. Badgers dwell in hilly, densely wooded regions.

3. Which species are hunted or raised?

Arctonyx collaris (hog badger) - and Meles Meles (Eurasian badger)

4. Nature of the hunt, traps, dogs, lamping, gassing?

Mostly gassing which is most efficient method of the hunt. They are gassed in the sett, mostly with the aid of a tube connecting to the animal sett. This practice is performed in Europe too to control the population and supposed to be the most effective and least painful to the animals.

5. time of the hunt (are there close seasons and will they maintained)?

The hunting season starts in September all the way though January. The close season starts in February through to the fall

6. is a overpopulation classified as pest in China and considered a threat to crop and livestock?

It is considered as vermin. The population has always been controlled as it can spread rabies and bovine tuberculosis

7. is the population monitored by the government?

The population is monitored by the chinese federal nature agency as well as by the IUCN. Here are the links to the two species 2007 IUCN Red List – Search / 2007 IUCN Red List – Search

8. is the meat / fat of the animal commercially used as well?

This is one fact that I was always hesitating to believe. The meat, especially in the northern regions of the country, is a source of food. The consumption of the meat is more widespread than thought. It cannot be said that the badgers are mainly hunted for the meat, as the hair is more valuably, however meat and fat is a important by product of the trade. The fat is used in the Chinese medicine as a rheumatism treatment.

I will travel to China again in October and hope to find out more information on the subject. I am glad we were able to make the suppliers aware of the fact that people in Europe and elsewhere are concerned about the way the hair is gained.

Best regards,

Christian Mueller