Pantholops – Tibetan antelope

A graceful and hardy animal that lives on the remote, high-altitude plains of the Tibetan Plateau. With its slender legs, soft woolly coat, and long, elegant horns, the Tibetan antelope is perfectly adapted to survive in one of the harshest environments on Earth. It lives at elevations of 3,700 to over 5,500 meters (12,000 to 18,000 feet), where the air is thin, the winds are fierce, and the winters are brutally cold. Yet, despite these extremes, the chiru thrives in this isolated world of open plains and rolling hills.

One of the Tibetan antelope’s most distinct features is its incredibly fine undercoat, known as shahtoosh, which protects it from the freezing temperatures of the plateau. This wool is so soft and warm that it became highly sought after in illegal textile markets, leading to massive declines in chiru populations in the 20th century. Males are larger than females and sport long, slender, slightly curved black horns that can grow up to 70 cm (over 2 feet) long. Females typically lack horns or have much smaller ones. Both sexes have a pale brown coat, white underparts, and a short tail.

Tibetan antelopes are migratory, especially the females. Each year, thousands of pregnant females travel long distances to traditional calving grounds, often journeying over 300 kilometers (nearly 200 miles) to give birth in relative safety. After about two months, they return with their calves to join the main herds. These antelopes feed on grasses and other alpine plants and are constantly on the move in search of food. They are shy and alert animals, using speed and agility to evade predators like wolves and snow leopards.