Tibetan Antelope: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Mountains and Deserts · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. To cope with thin mountain air, adult chiru keep the baby form of haemoglobin, which grabs oxygen more strongly. No other mammal is known to do this.
2. Chiru live on the cold, open plains of the Tibetan Plateau, between 3,250 and 5,500 m above sea level.
3. Each summer, females trek up to 300 km to special calving grounds, then rejoin the males for winter in late autumn.
4. A newborn chiru can stand up within 15 minutes of being born.
5. Males carry slim horns that sweep backwards, usually 54 to 60 cm long, with ring-like ridges near the base.

The quiz

1. What helps adult chiru get enough oxygen high in the mountains?

• An extra pair of lungs
• Breathing only through its mouth
• Keeping the baby form of haemoglobin (correct)
• Sleeping with its head in snow

Adults keep fetal haemoglobin, which holds on to oxygen better.

2. At what height do chiru live?

• Between 3,250 and 5,500 m (correct)
• At sea level
• Between 100 and 500 m
• Between 800 and 1,200 m

They live on the Tibetan Plateau, from 3,250 to 5,500 m up.

3. How far can female chiru travel to reach their calving grounds?

• Up to 3 km
• Up to 30 km
• Up to 3,000 km
• Up to 300 km (correct)

Females migrate up to 300 km each summer to give birth.

4. How soon can a newborn chiru stand?

• After about a week
• Within 15 minutes (correct)
• After about a month
• After three days

Calves can stand within 15 minutes of birth.

5. In 2016, how did the chiru's status change?

• From Least Concern to Extinct
• From Endangered to Near Threatened (correct)
• From Near Threatened to Endangered
• From Vulnerable to Extinct in the Wild

Its numbers grew, so it moved from Endangered to Near Threatened.

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