Question
Biology Question on Biodiversity and Conservation
Which endangered animal is the source of the world's finest, lightest, warmest and most expensive wool - the shahtoosh ?
A
Nilgai
B
Cheetal
C
Kashmiri goat
D
Chiru
Answer
Chiru
Explanation
Solution
Chiru or the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni) is medium-sized bovid which is about 1.2 m in height. Its coat is grey to reddish brown, with a white underside. The Chiru's wool, known as shahtoosh, is worm, soft and fine. The wool can only be obtained by killing the animal. It is listed as endangered by the world conservation union and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service due to commercial poaching for its wool.