*Saiga horns are also known as ling yang (羚羊) and used in Traditional Chinese Medicine
On 20 December, 2008 IRVES 3 Mobile AntiPoaching Unit and police officers detained two Mongolian citizens who killed 6 Mongolian Saigas.
A volunteer ranger informed the case of the Saiga poaching and location of the occurrence. The saiga ranger of the Saiga conservation project together with Soum policeman investigated wildlife crime and detained two persons who vended (smuggled) Saiga horns to the another person. Anthe site they observed heads,skins and carcasses of in total six poached saiga, all of them adult males.
All three suspects (including horn buyer) were local nomads and businessman. The investigation by the police is being conducted by the IRVES 3 unit and policeman with all documents and evidence that reported.Now it is in investigation of the court. WWF Mongolia and Aimag Environmental Agency are brought to the attention of the public on a regular basis by newspapers, radio and TV to avoid that wildlife related crimes are being overlooked by the judicial system.
Depending on the results of the court cases the poachers and buyer will have to count with compensation payments of 20000 to 24000 US dollars or imprisonment of between two and five years. Additionally they have to pay between 50 and 150 USD of fines for killed animals.
And also the volunteer ranger (informer) will be encouraged by 1000 US dollars reward by the Saiga conservation project, WWF Mongolia, and this kind of encouragement will be continued in Mongolia by the Saiga conservation project.
During the December all Saiga rangers and all policeman attended in seminar on“Nature conservation related crime”, therefore almost no rangers and policeman were out of the field patrolling.
(As communicated by our Saiga team)