chiruArticle Free Pass chiru (Panthalops hodgsoni), also called
Tibetan antelope, a small, gregarious, graceful antelope-like
mammal of the family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla) that lives on
the high alpine steppes of the Tibetan Plateau. Males carry
thin, long horns that curve slightly forward; females are
hornless. On each side of the blunt muzzle are two small bulges
that contain air sacs used in vocalization. Adult males stand
about 83 cm (33 inches) at the shoulder and weigh about 40 kg
(88 pounds); females stand about 74 cm (29 inches) at the
shoulder and weigh about 25 kg (55 pounds). The stocky body
stands on long, slim legs indicative of swift running and
irregular, long-distance travels between seasonal ranges. The
chiru has a modest rump patch, a short tail, and fairly small
ears. During the breeding season in December, the male’s face
and the fronts of its legs, which are those parts most visible
to a challenging rival, are black and sharply contrasted by
white fur, as well as by the yellowish gray