Other endangered, threatened, rare or vulnerable species or subspecies in chiru habitat include wild yak, Tibetan argali sheep, Tibetan wild ass and Tibetan brown bear. Tibetan antelope are one of the world's hardiest animals and can survive in -40 degree F temperatures. Females typically give birth to a single calf in June or July after mating in late November or December. Chiru are mixed feeders, favoring a diet of graminoid and forb species, with the percentage of plants changing seasonally. Livestock and chiru may compete for forage in overlapping range, since their diets are similar.
Chiru reproduction is characterized by seasonal migration of females and yearlings.
Chiru wintering areas are fairly well known, but most calving areas are still not adequately documented or protected, although they are regarded as essential for conserving chiru populations. Due to a combination of remoteness, an influx of settlers and a lack of existing management capacity, these reserves are incapable of effectively protecting the chiru or its habitat. The principal threat to the survival of the Tibetan antelope is organized, illegal poaching carried out by Hui and Han migrants, as well as Tibetan and Chinese locals in chiru habitat, which is causing critical overutilization of the species to supply the shahtoosh trade. Tibetans formerly hunted chiru on a subsistence basis, principally for their meat, using traps, dogs and muzzle-loading rifles, although Tibetan cultural practices traditionally discourage hunting. Use of Tibetan antelope horn has been documented in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine, although medicinal use accounts for a minority of chiru poaching.