Tibetan antelope  (Pantholops hodgsonii)

Large herds of antelope previously roamed the Tibetan plateau, and they are the only large mammals native to this region. In the 1990s however, a worrying decline in numbers was recorded and the population was estimated to have fallen to around 75,000 animals (5), with as many as 20,000 individuals killed annually (2). The principal cause of this decline is to supply the ‘shahtoosh’ trade; the production of shawls made from the fine, warm wool of this species. Shahtoosh stands for ‘king of wools’ in Persian and became a sought-after fabric in the fashion capitals of the world towards the end of the 20th Century (6). Up to five antelope are needed to produce a single shawl and these can fetch up to US$ 15,000 on world markets (2).

Tibetan antelope are protected by law in China, India and Nepal (2), and international trade is prohibited by their listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (3). Until 2002, shahtoosh shawls were legally produced in the states of Jammu and Kashmir in India but a vital ban on manufacture has now been introduced (7). Widespread education and anti-poaching campaigns have been carried out and these have gone some way towards slowing the decline in this magnificent species (2). There is evidence that illegal trade still continues however (7) and conservation efforts must continue.