Tibetan Antelope: Facing extinction for fashion
Poachers kill 20,000 Tibetan antelope each year. With fewer than 75,000 left,
the species is in extreme danger.
For the past 20 years, Tibetan antelope
have been illegally slaughtered to supply a high fashion trade in
"shahtoosh," the fine, soft shawls made from their wool. These shawls are
sold in fashion outlets in New York, Paris, London, Hong Kong China and
other cities for thousands of dollars each by retailers who are often unaware
they are selling an illegal product.
Wrap Up the Shahtoosh Trade (see right)
IFAW and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) have announced the results of a joint investigation of the illegal trade in Tibetan antelope wool from China and shawls from India - a trade that may force the extinction of this unique species within the next five years.
The investigation results are detailed in a new report, produced by IFAW and WTI entitled, "Wrap Up the Trade - An International Campaign to Save the Endangered Tibetan Antelope."
The IFAW/WTI investigation revealed that the shahtoosh wool is smuggled into India where in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir it is woven into shawls. The traditional markets for shahtoosh still exist within India, but the biggest allure for the illegal shahtoosh traders, and also the largest demand for the shawls comes from the wealthy western fashion circuits.
The way toward ending the shahtoosh trade rests not only on the shoulders of the fashion elite, but in the hands of governments empowered to influence enforcement measures and develop economic programs that may serve as incentives to stop the shahtoosh trade. These responsibilities and reforms will not come easily, and must be nurtured through effective partnerships among NGOs and government agencies and ministries.
To this end, IFAW and WTI outlined a set of recommendations in the new report that prompt relevant governments to find ways to work together, and with NGOs, to end the illegal shahtoosh trade. It is the hope of IFAW and WTI that these recommendations and the findings from the shahtoosh investigation will enlighten and empower governments and other decision makers to take decisive action towards saving the chiru.
Wrap Up the Shahtoosh Trade (see right)
IFAW and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) have announced the results of a joint investigation of the illegal trade in Tibetan antelope wool from China and shawls from India - a trade that may force the extinction of this unique species within the next five years.
The investigation results are detailed in a new report, produced by IFAW and WTI entitled, "Wrap Up the Trade - An International Campaign to Save the Endangered Tibetan Antelope."
The IFAW/WTI investigation revealed that the shahtoosh wool is smuggled into India where in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir it is woven into shawls. The traditional markets for shahtoosh still exist within India, but the biggest allure for the illegal shahtoosh traders, and also the largest demand for the shawls comes from the wealthy western fashion circuits.
The way toward ending the shahtoosh trade rests not only on the shoulders of the fashion elite, but in the hands of governments empowered to influence enforcement measures and develop economic programs that may serve as incentives to stop the shahtoosh trade. These responsibilities and reforms will not come easily, and must be nurtured through effective partnerships among NGOs and government agencies and ministries.
To this end, IFAW and WTI outlined a set of recommendations in the new report that prompt relevant governments to find ways to work together, and with NGOs, to end the illegal shahtoosh trade. It is the hope of IFAW and WTI that these recommendations and the findings from the shahtoosh investigation will enlighten and empower governments and other decision makers to take decisive action towards saving the chiru.
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The illegal trade in shahtoosh shawls has led to the decimation of the Tibetan antelope population, the sole source of the fine wool used to produced the high-priced shawls. The antelope are killed by poachers to remove the wool, resulting in thousands of antelope deaths each year. Rescued by conservationists, these young orphans are the lucky ones. IFAW has partnered with Chinese wildlife authorities to increase ranger and enforcement capacity in the region.
