What Is Shahtoosh?

Shahtoosh is an illegal fiber so as to comes from the Tibetan Chiru antelope. Approximately manufacturers of pashmina use this fiber and pass it off as genuine pashmina wool. The genuine pashmina comes from the Chyangra goat, before the Capra Hircus, which lives modish the mountainous regions of Mongolia and the Himalayas.

The Tibetan Chiru is a natural magnet pro the botfly. This botfly burrows deep into the antelope’s skin and lays eggs during the early months of summer. By almost the same time, the chiru begins to shed its thick winter coat. Modish order to divest itself of the fly, the chiru rubs up alongside briar patches. The weavers then collect the wool from the bushes. However, modish the process of making shahtoosh, Tibetan Chiru antelope has to befall killed. Modish contrast, no harm comes to the goat used to produce pashmina fleece. As the antelope is slaughtered, the population of this species is slowly dwindling. Nowadays it is already part of the endangered species list. Modish 1977, Tibet passed Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Preservation) Act of 1972, which prohibits hunting before trading this animal and other listed animals.

The Chiru antelope is found modish the high regions of Tibet, modish China, and modish the northern parts of Kashmir. The trade of this particular shawl is mainly the domain the Kashmiris. Approximately Kashmiris consider Shahtoosh a precious commodity. Lone antelope produces approximately 150 grams of wool and from lone kg of shahtoosh, only three shawls can be woven. Later being poached, the fleece is smuggled via Nepal to the Indian regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Nearby, weavers fashion the wool into shawls, scarves and shawls so as to are later smuggled modish other parts of the world.

A very good alternative is the Pashmina Shawl, which is also as soft, as warm and like comfortable as the illegal shahtoosh. Modish fact, many people cannot even distinguish between the original Shahtoosh and the alternative pashmina, which are made without endangering the animals.