Search Search icon Donate SPECIES Saiga © Victor Tyakht/Adobe Stock. WORLD’S WEIRDEST ANTELOPE The saiga antelope is superbly adapted to the harsh conditions of the semi-desert grasslands of Central Asia, which are among the last remaining wilderness areas in Eurasia. These unusual antelopes have a distinctive large, bulbous nose and live in what used to be vast nomadic herds, but sadly their numbers are plummeting and they are now critically endangered. SAIGA ANTELOPE FACTS The saiga’s nose has an unusual structure that is thought to filter out dust in the dry summers The saiga can migrate over distances of up to 1,000 kilometres between summer and winter Saiga herds once numbered in their millions, but the global population has declined rapidly to just thousands At a glance Saiga tatarica tatarica Critically Endangered Kazakhstan Family: Bovidae Order: Artiodactyla Est. in the wild: Unknown – recent mass mortality events have rendered previous estimates inaccurate. Saiga antelopes are extremely distinctive thanks to their bizarre swollen nose, which is thought to filter out dust during dry summers and to warm the cold winter air. Males also have unusual, almost carrot-shaped, horns. 200,000 saiga died suddenly in May 2015 within the space of a few days. 1,000 km Saiga migrate over huge distances between summer and winter. CONSERVATION STORY Despite its ability to endure the extremes of nature, the saiga cannot withstand the increasing threat from human activities, including hunting for its horns (used in Chinese medicine) and meat, and habitat destruction. To make matters worse, the saiga has suffered from a number of mass die-off events, which has seen the loss of hundreds of thousands of antelopes during the past few years, with catastrophic consequences for a species already pushed to the brink by human pressures. There has been a 95% decline in the number of this unusual and fascinating animal– one of the fastest recorded declines for a mammal. The saiga is a transboundary species, and its long-term survival will therefore depend on all the range states agreeing to protect it. The saiga needs your help. The saiga is a species in crisis. Numbers had already declined by 95% even before a disease outbreak in 2015 caused 200,000 animals to die in the space of a few days. To save the saiga, urgent funding is needed to protect the remaining animals from poaching so that the population can recover from this devastating event. You could help - please take action now before it's too late. Donate HOW FFI IS HELPING TO SAVE THE SAIGA Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is working with the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) and the Kazakhstan government to help secure the future of this critically endangered antelope. Together we are conserving the Ustyurt saiga population, the smallest and most at-risk from poachers, who target males for their horns for use in traditional Asian medicines. We are monitoring the distribution and movement of saiga, establishing and training new teams of rangers and sniffer dogs to detect and discourage illegal trade in saiga horn, and raising awareness of the antelope’s importance within communities. Other species you may be interested in Northern white rhino Antiguan racer Sumatran tiger Grauer’s gorilla CONSERVATION Species on the brink Almost 8,000 species of fish, amphibian, reptile, mammal and bird are officially categorised as globally threatened, and over 9,600 tree species are in danger of extinction. Read More CONSERVATION Illegal wildlife trade Illegal wildlife trade has become a high-profile issue receiving global media attention, not least because of its devastating effect on populations of rhinos, elephants and other charismatic wildlife. Read More Sign up for our e-newsletter Sign Up Follow us on social media Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Find us on YouTube Get in touch info@fauna-flora.org +44 (0) 1223 571 000 EXPLORE Countries Species Environments Conservation challenges OUR WORK Approaches Projects Publications Documents and Reports ABOUT People Contact Media Enquiries Careers NEWS & VIEWS News Views SUPPORT Donate Membership TOP ©2021 Fauna & Flora International - - Registered Charity Number 1011102 LEGAL By using this site you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more here Close and don't show again