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The Altai Maral, the deer with the most valuable antlers

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The antler-cutting season is coming to an end in Russia’s Altai Republic. Velvet antlers are popular in traditional Eastern medicine for preserving energy and... 20.07.2010, Sputnik International

2010-07-20T18:11+0000

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The Altai Maral, the deer with the most valuable antlers

18:11 GMT 20.07.2010

The antler-cutting season is coming to an end in Russia’s Altai Republic. Velvet antlers are popular in traditional Eastern medicine for preserving energy and youth. Antler-based medicines, such as Pantocrine, are extremely valuable.

© RIA Novosti . Alexander Kryazhev / Go to the mediabankThe antler-cutting season is coming to an end in Russia’s Altai Republic. Velvet antlers are popular in traditional Eastern medicine for preserving energy and youth. Antler-based medicines, such as Pantocrine, are extremely valuable.

The Altai Maral, the deer with the most valuable antlers - Sputnik International

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The Altai Maral, or Siberian Elk, a subspecies of the Red Deer, is the only animal that grows and sheds its antlers every year.

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During the antler-cutting season, the Altai Marals are herded into pens.

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Deer with fully developed antlers are kept for dehorning. The rest are released into the wild.

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The deer is brought into a special enclosure through several small pens and doors.

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The enclosure confines the animal so that it cannot move, as its antlers and hooves pose a danger to the deer keepers.

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The deer’s eyes are bandaged and, before its antlers are removed, a liter of blood is taken to be used for making valuable medicine.

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The antlers are soft and are sawn off in a matter of seconds.

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The deer is released from the stall and set free.

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After removal, the velvet antlers are boiled.

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The antlers are boiled for a few minutes, several times. This starts the preservation process.

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After boiling, the antlers are put in a wind dryer.

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The wind dryer is an enclosure with bars instead of walls.

© RIA Novosti . Alexander KryazhevThe wind drying process is alternated with hot drying in a heated room, where the antlers are kept for several hours. The preservation process takes a long time and ends only in late summer.

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The wind drying process is alternated with hot drying in a heated room, where the antlers are kept for several hours. The preservation process takes a long time and ends only in late summer.