Final answer:
Shatoosh, the wool of the Tibetan antelope, can only be obtained by killing the animal because the delicate and fine wool is extracted from the animal's hide after death, contrasting with the shearing of domesticated animals like sheep and alpacas which does not harm the animal.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Tibetan antelope, or chiru, produces a type of wool known as shatoosh, which is considered one of the finest wools in the world. Unlike the shearing process used for harvesting wool from domesticated animals like sheep, alpacas, and llamas, obtaining shatoosh requires the killing of the antelope. The wool of the Tibetan antelope is extremely fine, and it is collected from the underbelly of the animal. This fine wool cannot be sheared or combed out like the wool of domesticated animals; instead, it has been historically obtained by killing the antelope and removing the entire hide to extract the wool. This practice has contributed to the Tibetan antelope becoming endangered, and thus, trade-in shatoosh has been banned internationally and is illegal.
Traditional methods of wool-gathering involve shearing or collecting fiber from live animals. For example, the domestication of alpacas in the high Andes allowed for the regular collection of wool through shearing, avoiding harm to the animals and allowing for sustainable use of their fiber. In contrast, the traditional hunting practices involving the collection of hides and meat from wild animals, as seen in the case of bison or mammoths, did result in the death of the animals, but these practices were primarily for food and other necessities rather than for luxury items like shatoosh.