Kazakhstan said on May 28 that the critically endangered Saiga antelope population has more than doubled since 2019 thanks to conservation efforts.
Data from the latest aerial survey, conducted by the Ministry of Ecology of Kazakhstan, show that the number of Saiga antelopes (Saiga tatarica) in this Central Asian country has increased from 334,000 in 2019 to 842,000 today. . resurgence strongly since the event of mass death.
In 2015, around 200,000 Saiga antelopes – more than half of the total world population at the time – were wiped out due to an epidemic caused by bacteria from the nose, which spreads rapidly in hot and unusually humid conditions. .
This event made the Saiga tatarica one of the five most endangered antelope species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now classifies them as “critically endangered” on the Global Red List.
In addition to disease, poaching is also a persistent threat to this rare antelope. Their horns are sought after on the black market as a “precious medicine” in traditional Chinese medicine.
Authorities say the strong recovery of the Saiga antelope is the result of efforts to strengthen conservation. In 2019, Kazakhstan’s interior ministry pledged to crack down on poachers after the murder of two forest rangers.
When poaching was brought under control, not only did the antelope population increase, but the sex ratio also decreased. Five years ago, 18 women only had one man, but during a field visit this month, experts said the difference had dropped significantly to 1/7 or 1/8 ( man Woman)).
Adult Saiga antelopes are 108 to 146 centimeters long and weigh between 36 and 63 kilograms. Only males have horns, and their horns are usually over 8 inches tall. This species lives in herds in the steppes. Today, they are only found in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Mongolia, where Kazakhstan is the main habitat.
