News
Why protect saigas?
In recent years saiga antelopes hold a sad record in the animal world – they are one of the fastest declining mammal species on our planet today. Since the early 1990s global saiga numbers have declined by over 95% (see graph below). As a result there is considerable international concern and saiga have been listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN, the World Conservation Union.
1980-2000 data from Milner-Gulland et al (2001); 2001-2007 estimates from CMS Overview (click here); 2003-2007 Kazakstan data from Duisekeev & Sklyarenko (2008), Saiga News Issue 7.
1980-2000 data from Milner-Gulland et al (2001); 2001-2007 estimates from CMS Overview (click here); 2003-2007 Kazakstan data from Duisekeev & Sklyarenko (2008), Saiga News Issue 7.
Poaching is the main factor driving the decline of saiga populations.
The saigas meat and hide are traditionally valued, but nowadays saiga
are primarily hunted for their translucent amber horn, which is used
Southeast Asian countries for Chinese Traditional Medicine. All of the
saiga’s range states used to be part of the Soviet Union and part of
China within the last Century, until saiga went extinct in China in the
1960s.
The fate of the saiga has been closely tied to the economic downfall of the USSR. The breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in the collapse of rural economies and in turn led to widespread unemployment and poverty. Saiga poaching provided an alternative source of income and food albeit illegal. The trade in saiga meat and horn was hardly hindered by any law enforcement bodies, since these were also suffering from lack of funding. The border with China had been reopened in the late 1980s and demand for horn was high - fuelling further exploitation of saiga populations throughout Eurasia. The most accessible and easterly populations were exploited more heavily at first, until these had collapsed and exploitation shifted towards more remote populations.
Saiga populations were not only hit hard by the poaching itself, but also indirectly because the hunting pressure changed the structure of the populations. Only saiga males bear the precious horn and as a result poachers aim to kill males. Male saigas are also heavier than females, so killing a male is a win-win situation: horns + more meat. Unfortunately, because of this selective hunting for males, the number of adult males dropped dramatically. During the rut there were not enough males to mate with all the females (!), which led to a reproductive collapse. The direct poaching offtake coupled with the reproductive collapse meant that saiga populations declined at unprecedented rates.
Urgent conservation action is needed to halt this decline. In some populations, such as Betpak-dala, conservation action appears to be paying off, and the population is increasing. But more needs to be done throughout the saiga's range. The fact that the saiga is migratory and some populations are trans-boundary makes this not an easy task. But at SCA we have made it our mission to do everything we can to restore the saiga to its position as the flagship species of the Eurasian steppes.
The fate of the saiga has been closely tied to the economic downfall of the USSR. The breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in the collapse of rural economies and in turn led to widespread unemployment and poverty. Saiga poaching provided an alternative source of income and food albeit illegal. The trade in saiga meat and horn was hardly hindered by any law enforcement bodies, since these were also suffering from lack of funding. The border with China had been reopened in the late 1980s and demand for horn was high - fuelling further exploitation of saiga populations throughout Eurasia. The most accessible and easterly populations were exploited more heavily at first, until these had collapsed and exploitation shifted towards more remote populations.
Saiga populations were not only hit hard by the poaching itself, but also indirectly because the hunting pressure changed the structure of the populations. Only saiga males bear the precious horn and as a result poachers aim to kill males. Male saigas are also heavier than females, so killing a male is a win-win situation: horns + more meat. Unfortunately, because of this selective hunting for males, the number of adult males dropped dramatically. During the rut there were not enough males to mate with all the females (!), which led to a reproductive collapse. The direct poaching offtake coupled with the reproductive collapse meant that saiga populations declined at unprecedented rates.
Urgent conservation action is needed to halt this decline. In some populations, such as Betpak-dala, conservation action appears to be paying off, and the population is increasing. But more needs to be done throughout the saiga's range. The fact that the saiga is migratory and some populations are trans-boundary makes this not an easy task. But at SCA we have made it our mission to do everything we can to restore the saiga to its position as the flagship species of the Eurasian steppes.