Saiga Antelope–Learn more at Wildlife Conservation Network

Saiga live in a land of extreme climates.

The saiga antelope has evolved to be perfectly adapted to its life in the steppe and semi-arid desert of Central Asia and Russia.

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The Saiga Conservation Alliance works across the saiga’s range to secure its future.

Resembling a character from a Dr. Seuss book, the saiga antelope has evolved to be perfectly adapted to its life in the steppe and semi-arid desert of Central Asia and Russia. It is a relic of Ice Age fauna that included mammoths and saber-tooth cats. The saiga lives in some of the harshest land in the world and migrates long distances between summer and winter lands.

Herds of saiga once numbered in the millions, but today only 160,000 survive. The saiga population crashed by 95% in fifteen years, the fastest decline ever recorded for a mammal species. Saigas are hunted for their meat and their horns, which are believed to have medicinal purposes. The fate of the saiga was closely tied to the economic downfall of the USSR in 1991, which resulted in the collapse of rural economies and in turn led to widespread unemployment and poverty. Saiga poaching provided a source of food and income. Saiga grazing is also threatened by increasing livestock numbers.

The Saiga Conservation Alliance (SCA) works across the saiga’s range to secure its future. Recently, the saiga population has begun to increase again, thanks in large part to the efforts of SCA.

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Saigas' unique nose helps them in severe climates.

With their large, unusual looking nose saigas can heat up the air in freezing winter temperatures and filter the air in hot, dusty summers. Watch this video from TV network HITN and learn more about this amazing animal and how Saiga Conservation Alliance is working to protect them.

Women are a powerful voice in the household, and if they see the benefits of saigas as part of their culture, they will tell their sons and husbands not to poach and they themselves will not buy saiga meat.

Elena Bykova

Elena Bykova, Executive Secretary, Uzbekistan

Elena Bykova, a native of Uzbekistan, is a founding member of Saiga Conservation Alliance and a leader for saiga protection in her country. She has a strong background in field research, as well as a unique ability to foster collaboration among community members and influential leaders. Elena won the prestigious Whitley Award for her work with the saiga.

In this young and growing project, Elena and her team are actively making a difference for the saiga antelope and the people of the region.

Conservation Solutions

Tackling Wildlife Crime

Addressing Supply & Demand

All international trade in saiga antelope is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). SCA works to address both the supply and the demand for saiga products, because they believe if attention remains solely on the supply-side of an unsustainable or illegal wildlife trade, then the root of the problem, consumer demand, will still drive illegal markets and poaching.

Resurrection Island Project

The Aral Sea is a former salt lake, which has become the symbol of environmental catastrophe in the 20th century due to unsustainable water use for agriculture. Although its drying up was catastrophic for local communities and biodiversity, some wildlife still remains. SCA hopes to restore saiga populations in the area and preserve the unique flora and fauna through their “Resurrection Island” project.

Tracking Saiga from All Angles

For years, SCA has been leading research on-the-ground about the ecology and conservation of the saiga antelope, but they are now also collaborating with the ICARUS Project (International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space) to monitor saiga migrations from space to better identify critical habitat and corridors using satellite transmitters.

Wildlife Steppe Clubs

SCA set up Wildlife Steppe Clubs in Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan to inspire students to better understand their natural history. For generations, Steppe communities had been accustomed to herds of saigas grazing alongside them, but that is no longer common due to population decline. These educational clubs take part in annual Saiga Day celebrations, theatrical performances, gardening, sporting events, and kid camps to learn more about the species.

Kuralai Alternative Livelihood Project

The Kuralai Alternative Livelihood project in Uzbekistan celebrates local women who are creating beautiful traditionally embroidered bags to help save saigas. Kuralai means ‘baby saiga’ in Uzbek. This embroidery project gives women the opportunity to learn new skills in sewing as well as business and marketing, empowering women in the region to have an alternative source of income and decrease the demand for saiga poaching.

Stop Illegal Wildlife Trade

SCA is contracted by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention) to monitor the progress of saiga conservation, restoration, and sustainable use. CMS is an intergovernmental treaty governed under the United Nations’ Environment Program, focused on global conservation of wildlife, so SCA provides frequent data, images, and videos to them on the saiga’s status.

Saiga Day Celebration

SCA started Saiga Day, which is celebrated internationally among rural communities to take pride in their natural heritage and conservation of the saiga. The festivities take place each spring to mark the birth of the first saiga calves of the year, and is a celebration of life which unites communities across the saiga’s range under a common symbol.

Tackling Wildlife Crime

Saiga Day Celebration

Impact by the Numbers

camera traps installed by SCA in the Saigachy Reserve in Uzbekistan

20%

increase of the saiga population with a total of 7,667 individuals recorded in 2020

Where Your Money Goes

$90 will help a woman in rural Uzbekistan buy materials and equipment to start her own embroidery business.

$250 buys an infra-red camera, essential to help locate poachers who operate at night.

$1,200 will buy essential field equipment—such as tents, binoculars, field guides, uniforms, and transportation—to hold eco-camps for children living in remote steppe communities.

Donations of any amount can provide ex-hunters and unemployed men in rural villages with training and technical equipment to monitor and track saiga.

Learn About Saiga Conservation at Expo

The world population of saigas has crashed by an astounding 95% in the past 20 years, due to threats like poaching for saiga meat and horns and catastrophic disease outbreaks. Saiga Conservation Alliance (SCA) is working on the frontlines to tackle these threats to protect saigas.