Chiru inhabit high altitude plains, undulating hills, plateaux and montane valleys at elevations of 3,250-5,500 m, consisting of alpine and desert steppe and meadows, characterized by low vegetation cover and low primary productivity (Leslie and Schaller 2008). Most populations are highly migratory or nomadic (Schaller 1998, Schaller et al. 2006), moving up to 300-400 km between summer and winter ranges; others are nonmigratory or migrate over much shorter distances (Harris and Miller 1995, Leslie and Schaller 2008). Males and females are usually separate except for the mating period. Females congregate to give birth in traditional birthing grounds, some of which (e.g. Central Kunlun) have only recently been identified. The ecological parameters of these sites are not fully understood. In Chang Tang Nature Reserve, Chiru had a negative association with settlements and preferred areas with gentle slopes, moderate density of grazing livestock, villages only at lower elevations (Qi et al. 2015).

This antelope formerly ranged across the whole Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Almost its entire range lies within China. A small number occur seasonally in north-eastern Ladakh, in the extreme north of India and the species formerly occurred in a small area of northwest Nepal (Schaller 1977). Its range has decreased and it is now absent from most of the eastern plateau and from Nepal. The main stronghold of the species is in the Chang Tang area of north-western Tibet (Schaller 1998).

The Chiru is legally protected in China and India (Wright and Kumar 1997, Schaller 1998), but enforcement of the law over the vast area of its habitat has been problematic, although efforts have intensified since the early 1990s (Zhen 1999). Public awareness of the Chiru within China has increased, and some populations have begun to respond (Schaller et al. 2003). Chiru occur in Qiantang (300,000 km²), Kekexili (45,000 km²), Arjin Shan (45,000 km^²), Sanjiangyuan (150,000 km²) National Nature Reserves and West Kunlun (30,000 km²) and Central Kunlun (32,000 km²) provincial nature reserves. This network of reserves is important to the Chiru due to its migratory behaviour, with about 75% of its migratory routes protected by this network. Since 2002, the International Fund for Animal Welfare has organized and sponsored an annual workshop for nature reserve staff and other officials from the three Chinese provinces where the majority of the population is concentrated (Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang).

The species is listed on Appendix I of CITES.

Chiru are virtually unknown in zoos, but young have been born and orphans have been reared successfully in a 200 ha fenced enclosure in native habitat (Leslie and Schaller 2008).