Wild Saiga Antelope Conservation: A Population in Crisis

Saiga antelopes have experienced catastrophic population collapses from disease, poaching, and habitat loss. Their unusual proboscis-like nose and dramatic social behaviour make them one of the most remarkable ungulates on the steppe.

Key Facts

The saiga antelope population collapsed from over one million in the 1970s to fewer than 50,000 by the 2000s due to poaching
A catastrophic mass mortality event in 2015 killed over 200,000 saiga — more than 60% of the global population — in just three weeks
The 2015 die-off was caused by normally benign bacteria that became fatal due to unusual weather conditions compromising immune function
Male saigas are disproportionately targeted by poachers for their horns, used in traditional medicine
This selective male poaching creates severe sex ratio skews that further reduce breeding success
Saiga undertake mass migrations of hundreds of kilometres between calving grounds and winter ranges
Conservation efforts have produced some population recovery; the Mongolian saiga population has grown significantly

Welfare Considerations

Saiga welfare harms span both catastrophic disease events and chronic poaching pressure. The 2015 mass mortality represents one of the largest acute wildlife welfare crises in recorded history — hundreds of thousands of animals dying within weeks from haemorrhagic septicaemia. The welfare of dying individuals involves acute systemic infection, organ failure, and distress. At the population level, poaching creates chronic welfare pressure as animals are snared or shot for their horns. Mass calving aggregations, while natural, create vulnerability to disease transmission and predation that requires monitoring. Conservation investment in anti-poaching patrols and habitat protection directly reduces both individual and population welfare harms.

What You Can Do

Support the Saiga Conservation Alliance working on anti-poaching and population monitoring across the steppe
Avoid purchasing traditional medicine products containing saiga horn, which is traded under multiple names
Donate to veterinary research investigating the causes of mass mortality events to enable future outbreak prediction
Advocate for protection of saiga migration corridors from fencing and infrastructure that fragments their range
Support community ranger employment in Kazakhstan and Mongolia to build local capacity for saiga conservation