A Chinchilla is a chubby "squirrel-like" animal that began its history in the high altitudes of the Andes Mountains of South American (up to 16,000 feet!). The word "Chinchilla" means "Little Chinto", named after a South American Indian Tribe. These small animals are only about 10" long (without the tail), weigh about 2 pounds, and have bushy tails and large ears. Their fur is dense, soft, silvery gray on the top and whitish underneath. They live in communities of up to 100 other Chinchillas.

At one time, the pelts of the chinchilla were collected for the clothing of royalty. It could require up to 100 chinchillas to make one coat! The high demand for the beauty and the warmth of the Chinchilla fur (starting from the 16th century) has resulted in their near extinction. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species* the Chinchilla is classified as "Vulnerable" with a "suspected reduction of at least 20% over the last 10 years…" ** Today the Chinchilla population is making a comeback because they are protected plus they are being raised in ranches for pets.

We have chosen to pay tribute to the enduring beauty of the Chinchilla by creating our faux fur throw and pillow cover. In this way, we feel that many may enjoy its warmth and beauty without the sacrifice of these small animals.

*International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

**Contreras, L 1996. Chinchilla lanigera. In: IUCN 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Information retrieved on September 23, 2004 from www.redlist.org.