What is a saiga and why should we care about it? - Mother Nature Network
That's because it is. The saiga is a small species of antelope found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It is also a standout animal for the beautiful twisted amber-colored horns sported by males of the species. It is this horn that is partly the reason why the species has experienced a staggering population drop. The Wildlife Conservation Network states, "The saiga population crashed by 95% in fifteen years, the fastest decline ever recorded for a mammal species. 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. "Only saiga males bear the precious horn and as a result poachers aim to kill males," says the Saiga Conservation Trust. "Unfortunately, because of this selective hunting for males, the number of adult males dropped dramatically. The direct poaching offtake coupled with the reproductive collapse meant that saiga populations declined at unprecedented rates. Saigas declined from well over a million individuals to a low of 20,000. Today, the population hovers. Source: www.mnn.com
