The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police seized the Shatoosh (down hair of the Tibetan antelope) from Kyorpani and Soti areas of Thumi VDC in Gorakha district.
The Tibetan antelope inhabits areas at an altitude of above 4,000 metres from the sea level and is one of the endangered species of antelopes. It is found particularly in Nepal, India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Accordign to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, in Nepal the Tibetan antelope also known as Chiru is found in the Annapurna area in some numbers. Shahtoosh is known for its very fine quality.
It is said the number of Chiru has dwindled of late by 50 per cent. One hundred and fifty grammes of Shahtoosh is produced from a single Chiru, which means four Chirus have to be killed for extracting the Shahtoosh wool required to weave a shawl weighing 200 grammes valued at 20 thousand US Dollars in the international market.
Police and wildlife experts estimate that at least 7,000 Chirus should have been killed to extract the amount of Shatoosh that has been seized.
A team deputed under the command of Police Inspector Bhola Kumar Bhatta of the CIB confiscated 46 bags of Shahtoosh, each weighing approximately 25 grammes. The team found that these bags were stored at a remote village in north Gorakha.
CIB organised a press conference here today and made public the people involved in the illegal trade of Shahtoosh. If found guilty, they face prison sentences from five years to 15 years and a fine in the range of Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 100,000.
Chief of CIB, Kesh Bahadur Shahi said this is the largest quantity of wildlife hair with the highest value ever confiscated in the country.
Those arrested in this connection are Purna Jung Gurung of Thumi-8 and Sharmila Baram of Keurupani, Gorakha district.
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