Changthangi

Changthangi
Conservation status
Other names
  • Changra
  • Kashmiri
  • Ladakh Pashmina
Country of originIndia
DistributionLadakh
Use
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    20.37 kg[2]
  • Female:
    19.75 kg[2]
Height
  • 49–52 cm[3]: 369 
Skin colourwhite or light brown[3]: 369 
Coatusually white, also black, brown or grey[3]: 369 
Horn statushorned in both sexes
  • Goat
  • Capra aegagrus hircus
Changpa nomad with a kid
Herd in Ladakh

The Changthangi or Changpa is a breed of cashmere goat native to the high plateaus of Ladakh in northern India. It is closely associated with the nomadic Changpa people of the Changthang plateau. It may also be known as the Ladakh Pashmina or Kashmiri.

The intense cold of the region causes the goats to grow a thick undercoat, which is harvested to produce the fine pashmina grade of cashmere.[4] In the twenty-first century the quality of the pashmina is threatened by global climate change;[4] approximately three quarters of Indian pashmina production is from these goats.[5] They are also used as pack animals and for meat.[3]: 369 

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference barb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference dad was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference cabi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference cnn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ishrat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).