Herds of one of Central Asia's most iconic animals, Kazakhstan's saiga antelope, are dwindling rapidly and no one seems to know why. The Kazakh Department for Emergency Situations says more than 19,000 saiga carcasses have now been buried in the country's Qostanai region, though unofficial reports on May 20 suggested the number of dead animals may already exceed 30,000.
The Saiga Conservation Alliance puts the total number of individual animals in Central Asia at around 260,000, including 200,000 in west-central Kazakhstan, the largest population.
The 30,000 figure already represents the biggest die-off of the species in recent memory.
Read more about the current plight of the saiga here.
The Saiga Conservation Alliance puts the total number of individual animals in Central Asia at around 260,000, including 200,000 in west-central Kazakhstan, the largest population.
The 30,000 figure already represents the biggest die-off of the species in recent memory.
Read more about the current plight of the saiga here.
