Chiru

The Chiru is a medium-sized bovid that originated on the plateau of northern Tibet. The majority of the population resides close to the Chinese border, but some also dwell in Bhutan and India. There are less than 150,000 mature individuals left in the wild, but it is now believed that the population is growing. Due to extensive illicit poaching, they have become endangered in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Chiru lives between elevations of 3,250 and 5,500 m (10,660 and 18,040 feet) in open alpine and cold steppe habitats. They favor broad, level areas with little vegetation. A special adaptation of the species to its high-altitude habitat is the retention of the fetal version of hemoglobin even in adult animals, which provides higher oxygen affinity. The Tibetan antelope is the only species of mammal where this adaptation has been documented.