Why do Tibetan pastoralists hunt?

Abstract

The Tibetan nomads in the Aru Basin have until recently relied on hunting as an additional source for subsistence. They hunted the endangered Tibetan antelope or chiru (Pantholops hodgsoni), blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata), wild yak (Bos grunniens), and kiang or Tibetan wild ass (Equus Kiang) both for extra meat, pelts, and for cash. However, in the 1993 a general ban on hunting wildlife was declared, due to the recent dramatic decline in wildlife populations on the Tibetan Plateau. This paper argues that the repeal of traditional hunting, which was an integral part of the pastoral economy, has created an unbalance in the nomads’ economic system that needs to be addressed if nomadic pastoralists and wildlife in the region are to coexist in the future.