Saigas are the only species of wild ungulates that have survived to this day since the last glaciation. Evolution has well prepared these animals for life in the harsh conditions of the steppe. An unusually shaped nose, similar to a short trunk, performs a very important function. In the summer, it filters the steppe air from dust, and in the winter it warms it. The saiga is also protected from penetrating steppe winds. By winter, it is overgrown with warm, almost white wool.
The latest data on the state of the saiga population is very alarming. Experts now count about 10,000 saigas. And once upon a time, millions of herds of these ancient antelopes roamed these steppes. There are several reasons for such a catastrophic decline in the number of saiga. But the main one is poaching. The victims of illegal hunting are mainly males. Their horns are used in oriental medicine.
To preserve the saiga population in Kalmykia, the Chernye Zemlya reserve was created.
28 мар 2020
