The chiru is the antelope of the Changtang, famous for its long migrations to calving grounds and for the fine underwool that nearly drove it to extinction.
- Group: Mammal
- Habitats: Alpine steppe, desert steppe
- Regions: Ü Tsang, Amdo
Habitat
Open alpine and desert steppe of the Changtang and in Achik Kol (Ch. Hoh Xil) in Amdo.
Diet
Grasses, sedges and herbs of the high steppe.
Ecological role
A grazer and prey of wolves and snow leopards; its migrations to calving grounds such as Achik Kol are one of the great wildlife movements of Asia.
Threats
In the 1980s and 1990s chiru were poached in huge numbers for their underwool, woven into shahtoosh shawls sold abroad. Fences, roads and the Qinghai-Tibet railway cross its migration routes.
Conservation
Listed on CITES Appendix I, which bans international trade. Achik Kol became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017; the IUCN reports that the population is now increasing.