Maral Antlers

MARAL ANTLERS, or panty, are antlers of the deer called "maral," maral deer or wapiti (Cervus canadensis var. sibiricus), which is found in Siberia. M. antlers are currently obtained almost exclusively from domesticated marals, as the wild species has become very rare due to predatory hunting. Peasants and state organizations in the Bukhtarma River basin area (Southern Altai), as well as in the Ak-koba and Kara-koba regions, are engaged in maral breeding. Only males older than 2 years provide M. antlers. At the end of December, the maral sheds its old antlers, and in February new ones begin to grow, which by June reach their maximum size. They are soft, consist of tissue rich in blood vessels, and are covered with delicate skin with sparse, fluffy hairs. At the end of June or early July (depending on the age of the deer), these antlers are sawn off. The antlers are immersed in a boiling NaCl solution and dried in the air. Antlers that have begun to ossify, as well as those with damaged skin, are valued much lower. Antlers from a killed deer, removed together with the frontal bone, are especially highly valued, but such antlers are now almost never sold due to the high value of the male maral. Dry, that is, not covered with skin, mature antlers do not constitute a product for Chinese medicine, which is the main, and almost exclusive, consumer of this product, which it values very highly (30 rubles per kg according to 1927 prices). Chinese medicine considers M. antlers to be an energetic aphrodisiac and excitans; in gynecological practice, M. antlers are used by them as a remedy for infertility, in disorders of menstruation, etc. The trade in M. antlers is a state monopoly. The main places for purchasing M. antlers are Katon-Karagai and Zaisan (Kazakhstan). The number of marals has sharply decreased during the years of civil war. In 1927, 4,214.86 kg of M. antlers were harvested for a total amount of 116,085 rubles 12 kopecks. The harvesting of M. antlers is a profitable industry that provides a valuable export commodity and deserves close attention from the relevant organizations, in particular veterinary and zootechnical supervision, which has so far been almost completely absent.

S. Shubip.