A quirky look at wildlife. To be taken with a pinch of
salt, but with more than a grain of truth!

Autumn is very early this year and is really earning its American name of 'Fall' in the UK, with the leaves down very early indeed. It is mild so far but thoughts of scarves, boots, socks and other cosy items come to mind as we rummage through our wardrobes.

A rather old fashioned accessory which is particularly comfy, is a shawl. Worn with a nice brooch it can look quite stylish and not the least bit 'grannyish'. The 'must have' this season is a Shahtoosh shawl made from the wool of the Chiru (Tibetan Antelope) which is killed to 'harvest' the wool.

And what might all this have to do with us? Well, I make no apology for coming back to a previous subject, that of endangered wildlife, and in particular the Chiru or Tibetan Antelope. Having campaigned in 2000 to stop the killing of this charming animal I was horrified to discover recently that the slaughter was continuing, and is in fact even increasing.

Now how does that concern us here in the UK or America, or anywhere else for that matter? Perhaps not personally unless you have about £15,000 to spend on just one shawl!! Unfortunately, there are plenty of rich people with no scruples who will pay such sums for such a 'Must Have!' item. I found it interesting that in the year 2000 the going price was just £5000! As always, rarity pushes the price up. Shockingly, Shahtoosh shawls are on sale quite openly in London and on the internet.

Shahtoosh comes from Persian for king - Shah, and wool - toosh, and the wool was used for fine shawls by local people as part of a bride’s dowry. Whilst it remained a local trade, it did little harm to the million or so animals living on and around the Tibetan Plateau, but since it has become a world-wide trade, numbers have plummeted and now it is believed that only about 75,000 remain and some 20,000 are killed every year. In no way is this a sustainable or desirable trade.

It takes three to five animals to make one shawl, which is so fine and delicate that it will pass through a wedding ring. I have handled one which had been confiscated from a UK airport passenger and they are beautiful, until you think about their origins.

The animals are caught using brutal leg hold traps and guns, but now, with money behind them, the poachers are using automatic weapons and 4x4 off-road type vehicles. There is little chance of escape, and if they do, the chiru can take days to die before being found. Unfortunately like so much wildlife trade it is tied up with other illegal activities including the smuggling of tiger bones and skins etc.

Unfortunately the penalties and fines for dealing in these commodities are woefully small and scarcely make a dent in the fat profits to be made. India and China are starting to clamp down on the trade in earnest, but unless the trade is stopped at the retail end, they have little hope of succeeding.

I do not imagine any readers of this column would have £15,000 to spend on just one shawl, or would contemplate doing so if they had. However, there is something we can all do and that is talk about it, tell people, and if you see Shahtoosh shawls on sale anywhere in stores or on the internet, report it to the police, Customs and Excise or any of the international wildlife organisations such as WWF or the international Fund for Animal Welfare.

You can see photos of the shahtoosh and these beautiful animals and learn more about them here. Click on the little chiru photo and ask yourself what kind of people would actively support the killing of such an animal to meet the demands of the current 'fashion' trend.

I wish you a cosy autumn and winter and a clear conscience.

Websailor's Wacky Wildlife
World Archive

Websailor

18.10.07 Front Page

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