This is Brian Weirum of The Fund For The Tiger calling your attention to an excellent article in the June 14, 1999 edition of People magazine (page 133) and to another excellent article in The Wall Street Journal for Monday, October 25, 1999.
Entitled 'Fashion Victims' the People magazine tells of George Schaller's fight to save the beautiful endangered Tibetan antelope, known as the chiru, from extinction. They are being slaughtered for their silken fur for shawls, known as shahtoosh. The Wildlife Protection Society of India is mentioned prominently in the article. Schaller and the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York were very helpful in the production of Belinda Wright and Ashok Kumar's (WPSI) excellent and powerful booklet called 'Fashioned For Extinction' which documents the current plight of the chiru and documents the trade link between shahtoosh and tiger bones at various places along the Tibetan border with Nepal and India. We have been actively supporting the work of the WPSI since 1995.
I was pleased to meet Schaller in Kathmandu recently in a meeting with Chuck McDougal. I presented him with the Newsletters of The Fund for The Tiger and informed him of our ongoing support for the tiger conservation work being done by McDougal in Nepal and by Belinda Wright and Ashok Kumar of the Wildlife Protection Society of India. It was gratified to receive his encouragement to keep up the good work.
It amazes me that I continue to meet people who have never heard of tigers being killed for traditional Chinese medicinal purposes so it's safe to assume that the chiru may easily fall into that same black hole. Spread the word.
Brian K. Weirum
Chairman
The Fund For The Tiger
Page last updated June 18, 1999
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