December 14th, 2008
Happened across this image:
From the big 1938-39 German expedition to Tibet. The original caption reads something to the effect of
Timo and the Lepschajäger at the timber line in the Schapirevier on Schapi hunt.
A schapi is apparently some sort of Tibetan mountain goat:
December 15th, 2008 at 1:21 am
I have never heard the term Schapi before. Googling did not help. I think it must be another name for Himalayan Tahr:
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Oceania/New_Zealand/photo13543.htm
I don’t think they are actually goats but closely related to goats.
Nice photos.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:10 am
If memory serves this expedition was part of the big “scientific” effort by the NAZIs to find the roots of the Aryan people. Some NAZIs were convinced the Aryans decended from people of the Himalayas so they sent this enormous expedition off to find the “proof.”
December 15th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Steve: I also had no luck on a real ID. One source, I believe it was a book about the German expedition, called it a “Tibetan Gazelle” but that sure didn’t seem right.
Good find on that thar. You should be a blogger or something…
John Steele: I’ve seen a lot of references to that expedition over the years, but I’ve never really looked into it or heard about the stated goal.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
heh, I am not that good a researcher. The Tahr is on my list of things to hunt once in my lifetime. It is significantly higher on the list than the my dream of hunting a cape buffalo.
John: Crazy stuff!