What is a Saiga?
A Symbol of the Steppe
The saiga’s long, wobbly noses and large expressive eyes make one think of muppets or Dr. Seuss characters. These adorable antelopes are much tougher than they look, having roamed the earth since the ice age and outliving mammoths and saber toothed tigers! Once migrating across arid plains in eastern Europe, Asia and Alaska, they are now only found in smaller ranges in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The saiga is a symbol of the steppe for the nomadic people it shares its habitat with, and has been an important source of food and inspiration for centuries.
Height
Appearance
Habitat
Diet
Predators and Defenses
Weight
Males weigh about 41 kg / 90 lbs and females weigh about 28 kg / 62 lbs.
Notable Noses
Mating
Reproduction
Status
Where are Saiga Now?
Saiga once had a much larger range. Today, saiga are only found in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Mongolia. All of the saiga’s range states were part of the Soviet Union or China for most of the last century. Saiga went extinct in China in the 1960s.
This map from the CMS outlines where saigas can be found today
Can I see Saiga in Zoos?
Saiga are not easily kept in captivity, and do not thrive in the weather where most American and European zoos are located, so unless you travel to one of the regions where saiga live in the wild, you’re not likely to be able to meet one of these amazing animals.
A Population in Crisis
Saiga hold a sad record in the animal world – they are one of the fastest declining mammal species on our planet today! Since the early 1990s over 95% of the saiga population has disappeared. There is considerable international concern, and saiga have been listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
In May and early June of 2015, over 200,000 saiga in central Kazakhstan died suddenly due to a respiratory illness. Many young calves and their mothers were taken by the disease. Encouragingly, the disease did not repeat in 2016, and the herd is seeing some small recovery in numbers. Fortunately the two other populations in Kazakhstan and those in Mongolia and Russia were not affected.
Poaching is another main cause of saiga population decline. The local nomadic people have for many generations sustainably used saiga meat and hide as part of their diet and culture, but nowadays saiga are primarily hunted for their translucent amber horn, which is sold for Chinese Traditional Medicine (marketed as ling yang, 羚羊).
The fate of the saiga has been closely tied to the economic downfall of the USSR. The breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in the collapse of rural economies, unemployment and poverty. Saiga poaching provided an (illegal) alternative source of income and food. The border with China reopened in the late 1980s and demand for horn was high.
Only saiga males bear the precious horn, and as a result poachers aim to kill males. The number of adult males dropped dramatically. During the rut there were not enough males to mate with all the females, which led to a reproductive collapse. Recently however, some years have shown population growth and recovery, providing hope for the future.
Due to its high fertility and relatively favorable natural conditions, saiga populations have been increasing over the past two to three years, particularly in Kazakhstan. The Ural and Betpakdala populations have recovered to a significant level, prompting the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to implement regulations on these remarkable animals. Similar to the Soviet era, saiga has once again become a key component of Kazakhstan’s economy. The meat is sent to processing plants for subsequent consumption by the population, while the horns are planned to be sold to China and Southeast Asian countries. These horns are highly valued for their use in traditional Chinese medicine.
Saiga Population Over Time
- 1981 – 1,250,000 63%
- 1983 – 1,050,000 53%
- 1986 – 670,000 34%
- 1989 – 873,000 44%
- 1993 – 1,124,000 56%
- 1999 – 403,000 20%
- 2001 – 97,500 5%
- 2004 – 48,300 2%
- 2008 – 81,000 4%
- 2014 – 261,900 13%
- 2015 – 315,470 16%
- 2016 – 127,500 6%
- 2017 – 157,600 8%
- 2018 – 221,100 11%
- 2019 – 341,400 17%
- 2022 – 1,336,000 67%
- 2023 – 1,943,000 97%
In some populations, conservation actions are making an impact, and the population of saiga has increased during certain years, only to be affected again by poaching or the recent disease. More needs to be done throughout the saiga’s range to secure their survival.
Saiga are migratory, and some populations cross national boundaries, which adds to the challenges of conserving this rare animal. At SCA we have made it our mission to do everything we can to restore the saiga to its position as the flagship species of the Eurasian steppes.
Data for this chart includes population numbers for four separate saiga populations shown on the map above: Betpak-dala, Ustirt, Ural and North-West Pre-Caspian populations. Not included are numbers for Mongolian saiga, as data has been very limited over the years. Best estimates show a modest population growth of the Mongolian herd, from an estimated 1000 saiga in the early 1990s to nearly 14,000 in 2022.