Tibetan Antelope, or Chiru, are virtually exclusive to the Tibetan Plateau, living
at elevations over 14,000 feet above sea level. The hair of the chiru is short, dense and
wooly. They are fawn-colored with black markings on their faces and legs. The males have
long, elegant ridged horns used to defend their harems against rivals.
However, these beautiful chiru are being hunted to extinction for their fine wool,
known as shahtoosh. As many as 3-5 of these animals die for just one shawl, which
can sell for as much as $5,000 here in the United States! This black market has had a
devastating effect on the chiru population, as the numbers of chiru in the wild have
declined dramatically in the last decade. This is in spite of being listed on Appendix I
of the CITES list, which bans their parts and derivatives from international trade.
WWF, in coordination with Wildlife Conservation Society
(WCS), has launched a consumer awareness campaign to help stop this senseless
slaughter. In China, an international workshop on the conservation and control of trade in
Tibetan antelope was held recently in Xining. The workshop was co-organized by the CITES
management Authority of China and the CITES Secretariat with the financial assistance from
WWF and others. The workshop discussed technical issues such as illegal transit,
manufacturing and consumption of shahtoosh and the products made from it, and made and
international call to action (Xining Declaration)
to assist in conserving the species and combating the
illegal trade.
You can learn more about this illeagal shahtoosh trade by viewing these attached files:
Shahtoosh Reports: Downloadable in PDF Format:
Note: you'll need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader
to view PDF files
WWF, in coordination with