Chinchillas are killed for their fur and have been for centuries. The fur trade currently operates through specialized commercial farming, rather than harvesting wild populations. This practice is driven by the unique biological properties of the animal’s coat, which commands a high price in the global luxury goods market. The process involves raising the animals specifically for their pelts and harvesting them using methods designed to maximize the quality of the final product.
The Unique Appeal of Chinchilla Fur
Chinchillas possess the densest fur of any terrestrial mammal, making their pelts highly valued. This exceptional density results from a unique follicular structure where 50 to 80 individual hairs sprout from a single hair follicle. Most mammals, including humans, have only one hair per follicle.
This biological feature results in a coat so fine that it resists fleas and provides superior insulation in the chinchilla’s native cold, high-altitude environment. The fur contains approximately 20,000 hairs per square centimeter, creating an unparalleled, velvety softness. This luxurious texture and appearance drives the commercial demand for the animal’s coat.
Historical Context of the Chinchilla Fur Trade
The commercial use of chinchilla fur dates back to the 16th century, though indigenous Andean people utilized the pelts much earlier. Demand exploded in Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries, becoming a status symbol among royalty and the wealthy. This international appetite led to an aggressive harvest of the wild populations in the Andes Mountains.
Between 1900 and 1909, official export records show that over half a million chinchilla skins were shipped annually from South America. This unsustainable trapping pushed both the short-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla) and the long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) to the brink of extinction. South American governments began enacting laws to protect the species in the early 1900s after seeing the collapse of the wild resource. The industry then transitioned to the commercial farming model, beginning in the 1920s, using stock descended from a small number of wild-caught individuals.
Current Commercial Sourcing and Methods
Today, nearly all chinchilla fur used in commerce is sourced from specialized, controlled breeding operations, often called fur farms. These farms operate globally, with significant production occurring in Europe, North America, and South America. The animals are selectively bred to ensure the highest possible quality in fur color, density, and size, aiming to produce flawless pelts.
The animals are killed between eight and twelve months of age, when their fur is in its prime condition. Since the fur must remain attached to the skin for garments, the animal must be skinned after death. The killing methods are primarily selected for their speed and ability to avoid physical damage to the skin and fur.
The two most common methods used in commercial fur production are cervical dislocation and gassing. Cervical dislocation, or manual neck-breaking, is performed swiftly to cause immediate separation of the skull and spine. This technique is favored for its efficiency and for leaving the pelt entirely undamaged by injection sites or other marks.
Gassing is another prevalent method, typically using carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon dioxide (CO2) in controlled chambers. Carbon monoxide is considered more rapid and less aversive, inducing unconsciousness quickly before death. These methods ensure the integrity of the fur, which is the sole product of value, before the subsequent process of skinning and tanning begins. A single large item, such as a full-length fur coat, can require between 100 and 200 individual pelts due to the chinchilla’s small size.
Legal Status and Conservation Concerns
The wild chinchilla species remain under strict international protection due to the historical over-exploitation that nearly wiped them out. Both the short-tailed chinchilla and the long-tailed chinchilla are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This listing prohibits all commercial international trade in wild-caught specimens.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the short-tailed chinchilla as Critically Endangered, and the long-tailed chinchilla as Endangered. These classifications reflect the extremely low numbers of the species remaining in their native Andean habitat. Despite these strong legal protections, wild populations continue to face threats, including habitat loss and illegal poaching.
The CITES protection does not extend to the captive-bred animals used in the fur industry. Farmed chinchillas are considered domesticated forms and are excluded from the convention’s commercial trade prohibitions. This distinction means that while the wild species are heavily protected, the commercial fur trade operating through farms remains legal in many parts of the world.