Chiru, Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)

Chiru, Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)

Range and Habitat: The Chiru, or Tibetan antelope, is found on the remote high plains of the Tibetan Plateau and the Zianjiang and Qinghai provinces of Western China and the Ladakh province of northwestern India.

Chiru are poached for their very fine under-fleece to satisfy the demand for shahtoosh wool, used to make shawls and scarves. Shahtoosh is different from other wools in that it cannot be 'harvested' - shorn or combed from the animal - because it is an under-fleece. The only way to obtain it is to kill and skin the chiru.

In recent years poaching has increased dramatically. Experts estimate that there are fewer than 75,000 and possibly fewer than 50,000 chiru left in the wild. One animal yields about 125-150 grams of shahtoosh. Several Tibetan antelope are killed to make just one shawl.