New Delhi: The Tibetan antelope, friendly Yingying is all set to shake hands with the world as one among five symbols chosen as the mascots of the Beijing Olympics. Conservationists at the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) reveled at this announcement that was made by the Olympic Committee in China today.

WTI’s Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar and Executive Director Vivek Menon had signed a petition urging the Olympic Committee to adopt the chiru as the mascot earlier this year. Three provinces in China’s northwest have lobbied for the Tibetan antelope among a dozen contenders, such as the panda, a tiger, the red-crowned crane, a dragon and a mischievous monkey.

The long-anticipated mascots, the Five Friendlies, which embody the natural characteristics of four of China’s popular animals — the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow — and the Olympic Flame, were presented at a grand ceremony today.

Selecting the chiru or Tibetan antelope christened Yingying as the Olympic mascot of conservation will certainly draw more attention to its endangered status worldwide. This is significant because the chiru was poached for its under wool to weave shahtoosh shawls that are allegedly still in demand among some elite sections of society in India and abroad.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in 2002 announced the results of a joint investigation of the illegal trade in Tibetan antelope wool from China and shawls from India – a trade that may force the extinction of this unique species within the next few years.

The IFAW/WTI investigation revealed that the shahtoosh wool is smuggled into India where in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir it is woven into shawls. The traditional markets for shahtoosh still exist within India, but the biggest allure for the illegal shahtoosh traders, and also the largest demand for the shawls comes from the wealthy western fashion circuits.

A joint campaign “Say NO to Shahtoosh” is in its fourth year now in India, resulting in a significant reduction in demand for shahtoosh shawls. Enforcement of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 is now a priority after having created awareness on the illegal status on shahtoosh trade and WTI’s enforcement division is waiting to crack down on traders and individuals found flouting the law.

The selection of the chiru will thus enable conservation organizations to draw the attention of policy makers on its status. The Olympic slogan of “One World One Dream” may well  hold hope for the coexistence of species with inspiration from the Five Friendlies.

Mascot pic courtesy: Beijing2008.com

Pix credit: WTI