Alpine ibex vs Chiru

Capra ibex compared with Pantholops hodgsonii

Key Differences

• Alpine ibex is Least Concern while Chiru is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine ibex	Chiru
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mamalia)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order same	Artiodactyla (Hewan berkuku genap)	Artiodactyla (Hewan berkuku genap)
Family same	Bovidae (Bovids)	Bovidae (Bovids)
Genus	Capra	Pantholops
Species	Capra ibex	Pantholops hodgsonii

Evolutionary Relationship

Alpine ibex and Chiru share a common ancestor at the Family level: Bovidae. (Bovids)

Conservation Status

Alpine ibex

LC — Least Concern

Chiru

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine ibex	Chiru
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine ibex

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (8 countries), North America (Mexico), and South America (Argentina).

Chiru

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Alpine ibex

The Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) is a species in the genus Capra. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Widely distributed across Europe (8 countries), North America (Mexico), and South America (Argentina).

Chiru

The Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii), also known as the Tibetan Antelope, is a bovid endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent high-altitude grasslands of China, with small populations in India. Males bear long, slender, nearly vertical horns that can exceed 70 centimetres in length, while females are hornless. The species is highly adapted to life at elevations of 3,700–5,500 metres, possessing a dense, fine underfur known as shahtoosh — one of the finest animal fibres in the world — which provided insulation against extreme cold but also made chiru a prime target for illegal poaching. Massive hunting pressure during the late twentieth century for shahtoosh shawl production devastated populations, which fell to as few as 75,000 individuals. Following intensified conservation efforts, trade bans, and anti-poaching patrols in China, numbers have partially recovered, though the species remains Near Threatened. Chiru are highly migratory; females undertake remarkable annual migrations of up to 300 kilometres to reach calving grounds in the Chang Tang plateau. Males typically remain at lower elevations year-round. They graze on grasses, sedges, and forbs, and face ongoing threats from climate change affecting high-altitude pasture productivity and from infrastructure development fragmenting migration corridors.