Shahtoosh, the wool of Pakistan that threatens the Tibetan antelope

    Tibetan antelopes are in danger of extinction due to luxury fashion. From their thick undercoat, in fact, one of the softest, finest and most precious wools in the world is obtained: it is called shatoosh and in Persian it means "king of wool".

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    Le Tibetan antelopes are in danger of extinction due to luxury fashion. From their thick undercoat, in fact, one of the softest, finest and most precious wools in the world is obtained: it is called shatoosh (it is not the technique to lighten the hair) and in Persian it means "king of wool".

    This type of yarn, which can be obtained only by killing the animal, still throngs shops and markets in Islamabad, Pakistan, even though its trade is illegal. In fact, Middle Eastern women really like Shahtoosh shawls, status symbol for the wealthiest elites, which are made by highly skilled Kashmiri craftsmen.

    It matters little that working or wearing them is a punishable crime, in India as in Pakistan. International trade in Tibetan antelope is also prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which Pakistan is a signatory. Despite controls and regulatory devices, brown-beige shawls are worn during the winter months they are worn by both men and women and they drape many saris and salwar kameez at lavish weddings and dinners in exclusive venues.

    Shahtoosh, the wool of Pakistan that threatens the Tibetan antelope

    "Most of our customers are Pakistani, not foreigners. They appreciate the true value of these shawls, ”explains a shopkeeper, proudly displaying a rare cream-white shahtoosh, on sale for $ 4.000. The products, being illegal, are not exhibited. They are only brought up for "serious buyers," which are often wealthy mothers eager to purchase these delicate shawls for their daughter's dowry.

    Shahtoosh, the wool of Pakistan that threatens the Tibetan antelope

    Nuzhat Saadia Siddiqi, activist and activist, comments: “The prestige factor can be raised with the shahtoosh, but it is a false prestige, which is based on the carcasses of dead animals. Anyone who wears, buys, sells or gives shahtoosh shawls should be ashamed. " The demand has already pushed the antelope to the brink of extinction, whose population has declined by more than 50% in the past 20 years.



    Roberta Ragni

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