No respite for Critically Endangered Saiga Antelope 15 April
2004 | News story Gland, Switzerland, 15 April 2004 (IUCN) -
Despite the conservation efforts of many people, the saiga
antelope (Saiga tatarica tatarica) still faces imminent
extinction. The plight of this nomadic herding antelope featured
prominently in the launch of the 2002 IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species in which it was listed as Critically
Endangered, the highest category of threat. Although extensive
media coverage of the saiga's situation prompted a certain level
of action, this has not been enough to stem its rapid decline.
Inhabiting the open dry steppe grasslands and semi-arid deserts
of Central Asia and the Russian Federation, the status of the
saiga is an indicator for the state of these fragile ecosystems.
Saiga numbers have plummeted 95% from about 1 million in 1990 to
less than 50,000 today. The main cause of this catastrophic
decline is poaching, both for horn and meat. Poaching is fuelled
by widespread poverty resulting from ma