Saiga Conservation Alliance
Saving the Critically Endangered Saiga Antelope from Extinction
The Cause
The saiga antelope once roamed across Europe and North America alongside mammoths and sabre-toothed cats. Saigas live in some of the harshest lands in the world, often migrating long distances between summer and winter pastures. Their unique physiology is ideally suited for this climate and habitat. Once numbering in the millions, the saiga population crashed by 95% in fifteen years, the fastest decline ever recorded for a mammal species. They are now critically endangered. In May and early June of 2015, over 200,000 saiga in central Kazakhstan died suddenly due to a respiratory illness. The fate of the saiga is also closely tied to the economic downfall of the USSR in the 1990s, and illegal poaching to sell the horns for “medicine.”The Challenge
Saigas are under threat for several reasons; they are increasingly hunted for their meat and valuable horns, which are believed to have medicinal purposes. Oil and gas exploration and transportation as well as the laying of new road and rail infrastructures are hindering saiga migrations and impeding access to traditional pastures, many of which are being threatened by increasing livestock numbers. The Saiga Conservation Alliance works across the saiga’s range in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and Uzbekistan as well as in consumer countries such as China, to secure its future. Recently, the saiga population in Kazakhstan has begun to increase again, thanks in large part to the efforts of SCA.
A Prehistoric Marvel
Working to Save Them
About Us
Giving Tuesday: Help Us Build on the Success of Resurrection Island
As we mark Giving Tuesday, we reflect on the incredible progress made through the Resurrection Island project over the past five years. From discovering new populations of Saiga antelope to creating eco-tourism initiatives that support local communities, this project...
Rethinking Black Friday & Cyber Monday: How Your Choices Can Protect Wildlife and the Environment
This Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we’re asking you to consider the bigger picture. These retail-driven days often encourage overconsumption, but this year, we want to challenge you to make a different kind of purchase – one that helps protect rare and vunerable...
SCA member wins 2024 Earthshot prize
The Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (ADCI) has been awarded the Earthshot Prize 2024 in the “Protect and Restore Nature” category, recognizing its groundbreaking efforts to restore Kazakhstan’s ecosystems and the remarkable recovery of the Saiga Antelope. Credit:...
Subscribe today and receive saiga updates in your inbox! We won’t spam you or inundate you with posts. We will share with you our quarterly e-newsletter, annual Saiga Spotlight, and occasional breaking news or updates on saiga conservation.
Our privacy policy
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribeing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.