Thai officials say police have seized hundreds of shawls made from the wool of endangered Tibetan antelope in a large raid on shops in the capital.
Wildlife officials said Tuesday more than 250 valuable shahtoosh shawls were seized in three separate raids on Bangkok shops Monday.
At least two Indian nationals were arrested in the raid.
The non-profit organization WildAid says the Tibetan antelope population has seriously declined as poachers kill the animals to meet the fashion demand. One-hundred years ago, about one million Tibetan antelopes lived in the wild. Today, as few as 50 thousand survive.
The animals are listed in the convention on the international trade in endangered animals, making all trade in shahtoosh illegal. But the shawls remain popular and can sell for thousands of dollars around the world.
Wildlife officials said Tuesday more than 250 valuable shahtoosh shawls were seized in three separate raids on Bangkok shops Monday.
At least two Indian nationals were arrested in the raid.
The non-profit organization WildAid says the Tibetan antelope population has seriously declined as poachers kill the animals to meet the fashion demand. One-hundred years ago, about one million Tibetan antelopes lived in the wild. Today, as few as 50 thousand survive.
The animals are listed in the convention on the international trade in endangered animals, making all trade in shahtoosh illegal. But the shawls remain popular and can sell for thousands of dollars around the world.