Chiru herds are widely poached in protected areas of Tibet and Western China. After the antelope are skinned, the raw shahtoosh is collected and smuggled to India for transport to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Under Indian law, this state is entitled to independent wildlife regulation, making it the only location in the world where the possession and manufacture of shahtoosh are legal. The shahtoosh issue gained higher visibility after Time magazine featured a report last October and the Wall Street Journal ran a page-one article. The investigation reportedly stemmed from a 1994 fundraiser at New York's Mayfair Hotel.
Violators can face maximum jail sentences of five years.
The Xining workshop renewed hope that the chiru may receive adequate protection. It is an encouraging sign that world governments are committed to ending Tibetan antelope poaching by reducing market demand and attempting to halt the illegal manufacture and trade of shahtoosh goods. However, a great deal remains to be done to improve international conservation management and law enforcement efforts. In China, better coordination is needed between nature reserves, law enforcement personnel, and regional and national wildlife management authorities. A detailed conservation plan also will be necessary if China is to protect the Tibetan antelope.