Save the Chiru!
The Tibetan Antelope - Pantholops hodgsonii - is commonly referred to as the Chiru. It lives above the tree line in Tibet, at an altitude of over 14,000 ft. Its natural environment is one of harsh bitter winds, minus 40oF temperatures in the winter, with occasional snowstorms even during the short summers. The Chiru's home remains one of the least travelled and least known corners of the world, and one would have thought that Chiru populations would be safe from man's greed. Alas this is not the case.
Shahtoosh' is the name given to wool derived from the Chiru. The fabric woven from this wool carries the same name and is worn by the fashionable worldwide. The Chiru's natural habitat is Tibet - with populations ranging into Ladakh. Nature has provided it with a two layered fur, to give it the warmth that it requires for survival. The visible coat is the second coat and is coarse. The short, fine haired under layer hugs the Chiru's skin. Shahtoosh is derived from the undercoat.
Once we know that Shahtoosh is derived from an untamed animal, which roams wild on the Tibetan plateau desert, it takes little imagination to realise how this wool is harvested. THE ANIMAL MUST BE KILLED.
Sunny is part of an international campaign against Shahtoosh products. This fine wool, though a very elite fashion statement, is endangering the very existence of the Chiru.
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