Effective prevention of saiga poaching – in contrast to the one-time detention of poachers and traders – is impossible without a deep understanding of the reasons that force people to organize, participate, and assist in the saiga poaching and sale of horns and meat. Without understanding people’s motivations, the stages of a crime, the key participants, and the points at which a crime is committed, it is difficult to develop an effective strategy for detecting and preventing criminal activity.
The USFWS/FFI/SCA/ACBK project “Strengthening Local Capacity to Lead Evidence-Based Conservation of Saiga in Their Native Habitats in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan” began. Within the framework of the project, protected areas employees were trained to identify all stages of the criminal chain. A training seminar on describing a crime scenario took place on September 5-6, 2023 in Nukus.
Timur Abduraupov, an employee of the Institute of Zoology and a project expert, described the crime scenario using the example of a Central Asian turtle, gave a theory of motivation and the possibility of committing a crime in the field of wildlife and possible ways to suppress and prevent the crime. Then, to understand the current situation, project staff, and protected area inspectors conducted a complete “analysis” of the entire chain of crimes related to the saiga antelope. Primary data showed that currently, the profitability of this illegal business has greatly decreased due to the low number of saiga antelopes in Uzbekistan and the presence of territorial protection. However, the threat to saiga remains, and therefore the project will continue to study the specifics of the illegal saiga business and provide support to improve the professional capacity of protected area staff in Karakalpakstan.
Timur Abduraupov conducts classes on the territory and the main components of wildlife crime
Description of the “crime scenario” in the field of illegal use of saiga together with rangers of the protected area of Karakalpakstan
Participants of the seminar on crime scenarios in the office of the Saigachiy Reserve
Photo by A. Esipov and E. Bykova