Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) lives in tibetan plateau grasslands across Tibet and Nepal. It feeds on grasses and plants. Its conservation status is Near Threatened.
Fascinating facts about the Chiru
- Fewer than 150,000 mature individuals are left in the wild, but the population is currently thought to be increasing. The species suffered a severe decline from nearly a million (estimated) at the turn of the 20th century to less than 75,000 in the 1990s. A 2009 assessment estimated an increased population of 150,000.
- It takes the underfur of three to five adult antelopes to make one shawl, and a single shawl can fetch $1,000, $5,000 in India or up to $20,000 abroad. Approximately 20,000 males, females, and young are killed each year by poachers who value the wool. Shahtoosh fibers are extremely fine (1/5 that of human hair) and are considered the softest and warmest wool in the world. These staggering numbers explain why illegal hunting once drove the species to the brink and why strict trade bans remain vital.
- A special adaptation of the species to its high-altitude habitat is the retention of the fetal version of hemoglobin even in adult animals, which provides higher oxygen affinity. The Tibetan antelope is the only species of mammal where this adaptation has been documented. This physiological tweak lets the animal thrive where oxygen is thin, up to 5,500 m elevation. Understanding this unique trait highlights the antelope's evolutionary ingenuity and the importance of preserving its extreme environment.
- In 1997 the Chinese government established the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve solely to protect the Tibetan antelope population. When a new railway bisected their feeding grounds in July 2006, 33 special animal migration passages were built beneath it to let herds cross safely. In September 2016 the IUCN re-classified the species from Endangered to Near Threatened, reflecting the success of these actions. These concrete steps show how targeted infrastructure and protected-area design can reverse a species' decline.
- Female chiru migrate up to 300 km (200 mi) each year to reach summer calving grounds, then rejoin males in the autumn. During these journeys they can sprint as fast as 50 mph.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeTibet and Nepal
HabitatTibetan plateau grasslands
DietGrasses and plants
About the Chiru
In the vast, windswept expanse of the Tibetan Plateau, the chiru, with its slender legs and delicate features, moves with an ethereal grace, its soft footsteps barely disturbing the fragile landscape. As it glides effortlessly across the grasslands, its long, slender neck bobbing up and down, the chiru embodies a quiet resilience, its gentle nature belied by a remarkable adaptability to the harsh, high-altitude environment it calls home. Its very existence is a testament to the enduring power of life in one of the most inhospitable yet breathtakingly beautiful regions on Earth.
Hear the Chiru, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
