Outlook for the saiga

Inhabiting the vast plains of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, it is estimated that there are currently around 56,300 to 61,300 individuals, down from approximately 1,250,000 in the mid-1970s. [1]

According to CITES, the decline may be attributable to the combined effects of changes to vegetation, competition with domestic livestock, increased predator numbers, disruption to migratory routes, and poaching and illegal trade.[2]

Exports of Saiga horn are currently prohibited through national legislation, in order to allow populations to recover, and several countries have established captive-breeding centres, with the aim of re-introducing captive-bred animals into the wild.

Nevertheless, as noted at a Workshop on the Conservation and Sustainable use of the Saiga Antelope in China in September 2010,