IFAW release: Poaching Remains Main Threat to Tibetan Antelope

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

Here is the latest from our IFAW China office. Poaching continues to pose the

threat of extinction to Tibetan antelopes, but IFAW is working with local

authorities to find anti-poaching and habitat restoration solutions. Poachers

shoot and kill the antelopes and then trade their fur to feed the demand of the

Shahtoosh shawl fashion industry. Click here to find out more,

http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=139700

 

Kerry Branon

Communications Coordinator

IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)

765 Attucks Lane

Hyannis, MA 02601

508-744-2068 office

508-776-9872 cell

kbranon

www.ifaw.org

 

 

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Email:jhe Tel:+86-10-64643599 ??:13901205447

 

Poaching Remains Main Threat to Tibetan Antelope

 

(Urmuqi, Xinjiang China - 20 August 2005) - Sponsored by IFAW (International

Fund for Animal Welfare -- www.ifaw.org), the fourth Tibetan Antelope

Anti-poaching and Conservation Workshop began today in China. Convened by

conservation officials from nature reserves in Qinghai, Xinjiang and the Tibet

Autonomous Region, the two-day meeting focuses on solutions to anti-poaching and

habitat restoration.

 

 

 

The Tibetan antelope is one of the flagship species of China's Qinghai-Tibet

Plateau and is highly endangered. By the mid-1990s its population had plummeted,

from an estimated 2 million at the turn of 20th century, to merely 75,000

animals. Tibetan antelopes, also called Chiru, are hunted for their wool -

considered the finest in the world -- which is woven into garments called

Shahtoosh shawls. It takes several Tibetan antelope pelts to make a single shawl

and a quality Shahtoosh shawl can cost up to EUR10,000 - twice as much as an

economy-priced car in China.

 

 

 

Despite a strict international ban and protection under Chinese Wildlife

Protection Law, the illegal trade in Tibetan antelope products is rampant and

poaching remains the largest threat to the survival of the species. Recent

incidents include:

 

 

 

* In June, Swiss customs confiscated 537 Shahtoosh shawls valued at more than

EUR2.5 million. It was the largest-ever seizure of Shahtoosh in Europe.

 

 

* In August, the Kekexili Special Anti-Poaching Force unearthed more than 100

Tibetan antelope pelts during a raid.

 

 

 

* Also in August, New Delhi customs officials discovered an unspecified amount

of Shahtoosh wool mixed in with bales of sheep wool.

 

 

 

" IFAW is gravely concerned about the continued threat of poaching faced by the

Tibetan antelope, " said Grace Gabriel, deputy director of IFAW's Wildlife and

Habitat Protection Department. " The crimes in just the past few months indicate

that at least 1,700 endangered Tibetan antelope were slaughtered, a significant

blow to the survival of the species. "

 

 

 

" Although efforts have been made by Chinese authorities to fight against

poachers, the Tibetan antelope population in the wild still has not recovered

from the verge of extinction, " said Dr. Zhang Li, director of IFAW's China

office. " The aggressive market for Shahtoosh still exists and remains the

biggest engine driving the continued slaughter of Tibetan antelopes. "

 

 

 

Huge profit margins from the illegal sale of Tibetan antelope products has fed a

thriving international poaching and smuggling network. IFAW's report " Wrap Up

the Trade " discovered that poaching, trafficking, manufacturing and trading

activities are each housed in different countries -- indicating a very complex,

multi-national criminal network.

 

 

 

" Poaching is becoming more and more sophisticated. Poachers monitor our

anti-poaching patrols and then strike whenever there is an open opportunity.

They work in small groups, making them extremely mobile and hard to find, " said

Fan, an official with the China National Forestry Police Bureau. " Moreover, the

value of Chiru pelts in the international market has doubled, stimulating an

increase in crime within China. We urge international community to reinforce

market supervision within their own countries as well. "

 

 

 

About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)

 

Founded in 1969, IFAW works to protect animals and their habitats. With offices

in 15 countries around the world, IFAW works to protect whales, elephants, great

apes, big cats, dogs and cats, seals, and other animals. To learn how to help,

please visit www.ifaw.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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href= " http://www.ifaw.org " >www.ifaw.org</a>) works to improve the welfare of

wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial

exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in

distress. IFAW seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to

promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of

both animals and people.

 

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