Changthangi Goat

Changthangi Goat, also known as the Chegu or Ladakh Pashmina Goat, is a goat breed native to the Changthang plateau of Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas, herded at altitudes above four thousand meters by the nomadic pastoralist Changpa people. It is the principal source of pashmina, the fine cashmere wool combed from the goat's soft undercoat each spring after it grows in over the harsh Himalayan winter, and the breed's ability to produce this exceptionally fine fiber is closely tied to the extreme cold and altitude of its native range. Changthangi goats are hardy, adapted to sparse high-altitude grazing and severe temperature swings, and their herding remains central to the traditional pastoral economy and culture of the Changpa communities. Pashmina from Changthangi goats is processed into the fine woven shawls historically associated with Kashmir, though the goats themselves are raised in Ladakh rather than Kashmir proper.