The Chiru, or Tibetan Antelope 



appears to have been the late Mr. Wilson, of Mussorle, 

 a well-known " Shikari," who shot chiru on the 

 Changchenmo river, in North-Eastern Ladak. Since 

 that time Changchenmo has become a favourite hunt- 

 ing-ground for this antelope, which has also been 

 killed farther eastwards, in the neighbourhood of the 

 Manasarowar Lake, and elsewhere. 



Chiru are confined to the arid districts ot Tibet 

 lying beyond the snowy range of the Himalaya, but 

 their exact limits are not yet ascertained. Westwards 

 they extend into North-Eastern Ladak, and they have 

 been obtained in Hundes, across the Niti Pass, as well 

 as in Northern Tibet. Probably they inhabit the 

 whole Tibetan plateau. From 13,000 to 18,000 feet 

 are the elevations at which they are commonly found in 

 Ladak, but at times they doubtless ascend to higher 

 elevations. Although they are not unfrequently called 

 snow-antelope, this is by no means a satisfactory name, 

 as the greater part of the country in which chiru are 

 found is free from snow in summer, and does not 

 receive a great amount even in winter. In Ladak 

 favourite haunts of chiru in summer are the grassy 

 flats bordering the plains of the Changchenmo river, 

 where the present writer made his acquaintance with 

 the species. They are also to be found in other parts 

 of the Changchenmo valley, where deep ravines lead 

 from the higher grounds to the river valley. 



At the time of his visit the present writer used to 

 see only some half-dozen chiru on the plain at once, 

 but cannot recollect whether there were females among 

 them. General Kinloch states, however, that at the 

 date of his trips to Changchenmo does were hardly ever 

 seen there, and that although he met with herds of from 

 sixty to seventy bucks, on only one occasion did he 

 recognise a doe among them, and this in three visits. 

 On the other hand, Mr. Darrah, in his Sport in the 

 Highlands of Kashmir^ mentions on one occasion having 

 seen a party comprising three does" and two bucks in 



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