Published by the Saiga Conservation Alliance Winter 2011...
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Issue 14, Winter 2011/2012 SAIGA NEWS Published by the Saiga Conservation Alliance A retrospective assessment of saiga antelope Saiga tatarica die-off in Western Kazakhstan 2010-2011 Richard Kock, Yuri Grachev, Adhikai Zhakypbayev, Altai Usenbayev, Steffen Zuther, Olga Klimanova, Til Dieterich, Mamay Sapanov, and Gulmira Izimbergenova Corresponding author: Richard Kock, Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases Royal Veterinary College, UK, [email protected] The current most plausible hypothesis for the die off of saigas in West Kazakhstan in 2010 and 2011 is that, after calving, adult saigas entered an area of relatively rich pastures. This was a time of rapid growth of vegetation. After eating the vegetation, saigas developed problems with their ruminal function. This led to bloating, mild diarrhoea and a respiratory based sudden death syndrome, similar to “Fog Fever” result in examination of carcasses many hours or days post mortem, when decomposing bacteria can confuse pathological diagnosis. History tells us that saiga populations suffer large, apparently spontaneous disease outbreaks, causing massive mortality. There have been a number of events recorded in relatively recent times in Kazakhstan: 1955, 1956, 1958, 1967, 1969 and 1974, 1981, 1984, 1988, 2010 and 2011 with Foot and Mouth Disease and pasteurellosis the attributed causes in most events. These are viral and bacterial diseases which can cause major epidemic mortality in herbivores, both domestic and wild animals. Given current low saiga population sizes, Continued on p.2. Photo by Valery Maleev This edition is funded by: Providing a six-language forum for exchange of ideas and information about saiga conservation and ecology Investigation of an outbreak of disease affecting saiga antelopes is a difficult task for a number of reasons; the remoteness of populations, difficulties observing individuals closely and inaccessibility of animals for clinical examination. Delays in initiating investigation _
Transcript of Published by the Saiga Conservation Alliance Winter 2011...
Issue 14,Winter 2011/2012
SAIGA NEWSPublished by the Saiga Conservation Alliance
A retrospective assessment of saiga antelope Saiga tatarica die-offin Western Kazakhstan 2010-2011
Richard Kock, Yuri Grachev, Adhikai Zhakypbayev, Altai Usenbayev, Steffen Zuther, Olga Klimanova, Til Dieterich,Mamay Sapanov, and Gulmira Izimbergenova
Corresponding author: Richard Kock, Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases Royal Veterinary College, UK,[email protected]
The current most plausible hypothesis for the die offof saigas in West Kazakhstan in 2010 and 2011 is that,after calving, adult saigas entered an area of relativelyrich pastures. This was a time of rapid growth ofvegetation. After eating the vegetation, saigas developedproblems with their ruminal function. This led tobloating, mild diarrhoea and a respiratory basedsudden death syndrome, similar to “Fog Fever”
result in examination of carcasses many hours or dayspost mortem, when decomposing bacteria can confusepathological diagnosis.
History tells us that saiga populations suffer large,apparently spontaneous disease outbreaks, causingmassive mortality. There have been a number of eventsrecorded in relatively recent times in Kazakhstan: 1955,1956, 1958, 1967, 1969 and 1974, 1981, 1984, 1988,2010 and 2011 with Foot and Mouth Disease andpasteurellosis the attributed causes in most events. Theseare viral and bacterial diseases which can cause majorepidemic mortality in herbivores, both domestic and wildanimals. Given current low saiga population sizes,
Continued on p.2.
Phot
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Mal
eev
This edition is funded by:
Providing a six-language forum for exchange of ideas and information about saiga conservation and ecology
Investigation of an outbreak of disease affecting saigaantelopes is a difficult task for a number of reasons; theremoteness of populations, difficulties observingindividuals closely and inaccessibility of animals forclinical examination. Delays in initiating investigation_
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CONTENTSFeatureRichard Kock et al A retrospective assessment of the saiga antelopeSaiga tatarica die-off in Western Kazakhstan 2010-2011 .……….
UpdatesAline Kuhl and Christiane Roettger CMS COP10: Networkingfor Migratory Species …………………………..………..…Nadezhda Arylova The 10th anniversary WCN conservationexhibition …………………………...…………………….Anthony Dancer First international saiga ecotourto Southern Russia …………………………………..….…..Dagmar Andres-Brümmer The first saiga photo safarito Altyn Dala ……………………………………………...Chingis Minkeyev How to see a real saiga, or a trip to the Yashkul'Breeding Centre ……………………………………….…..Elena Bykova A new documentary film about the saiga has beenscreened in the Ustyurt villages …………………..……….….Media reports:A bilateral agreement on the conservation of the Ural saigapopulation is in preparation.The institutional structures of the Irgyz-Turgai nature reserve havebeen put in place.A saiga ground survey has been carried out in Kalmykia.“The Saga of the Saiga 2” has won a special prize at the BaikalFilm Festival.TNT continues to support the saiga conservation programme inKalmykia.Cases of saiga poaching.
ArticlesBadamjavin Lkhagvasuren at al. Analyzing the effects ofinfrastructure on migratory terrestrial mammals in Mongolia ……Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar et al. Food habits and dietary overlapamong livestock and saigas in Mongolia ..……………...……..Samuel Cavenagh Avenues for future research into the migrationof the saiga antelope ……………………………….…….....Suzanne Offord An evaluation of potential monitoring methodsin Uzbekistan ……………………….……………..…..….Carlyn Samuel et.al Building public engagement for conservationof the Ural saiga population following a mass die-off ….…..……Olga Pereladova The development of a national plan for saigaconservation in Russia ………………………….…….…….
Saiga heroesAlexander Grigoriants, Uzbekistan …..……………….………
Project round-upThe 2011 SCA Small grants competitions ……………...……..
AnnouncementsCoordination of the CMS MTIWP .…………………………...
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Continued from p.1:epidemic disease is a major threat andextinction is a very real possibility.
Here we review the reported die-off of saigain both 2010 (~12000 - 15000 animals) and2011 (400+ animals) in the region of Borsy,West Kazakhstan, based on extensivediscussions, a field mission and analysis ofavailable data. Our main conclusions are thatthe diagnosis of pasteurellosis, based purely onisolation of Pasteurella multocida from organtissues taken from saiga post mortem, withoutsupporting pathological and epidemiologicalevidence, is unreliable. In general, outbreakinvestigation protocols were inadequate, in bothyears, for a comprehensive conclusive diagnosisbut probably, based on environmental and tissuesampling, poisoning from some contaminantcan be ruled out. Specifically, the method ofdata collection, necropsy and sampling was sub-optimal. This is unfortunate but understandablegiven the constraints and lack of specialisedstaff. Seeking an alternative explanation is aconsiderable challenge but several features ofthe two events allow some speculation on apossible cause.
Firstly, the syndromes in both years wereidentical, occurring in virtually the same weekof the year and in the same physical location,causing ~75% mortality of the affectedpopulation in 2010. Mortality rates were similarin 2011 but only affected a sub-population of~500 animals, which moved onto the area of theprevious die-off whilst the remainder of thesaigas remained healthy, grazing in other areas(Figure 1). This in itself would suggest thatinfectious disease was an unlikely primarycause, assuming it was the same populationaffected in both years, since acquired immunitywould have reduced subsequent mortality rates.Pasteurellosis (pneumonic or haemorrhagicsepticaemia) is usually associated with stressorsand there was no evidence for unusualaggregations, densities or extreme stress eventswhether physical, environmental or weatherrelated. Calving is a stressful time for animalsbut there was no reason to suspect that these
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Aerial shot of pasture showing intense green patchesand carcasses dotted around in Borsy.
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responsible coordinating office for saiga health,preferably in the wildlife authority and enhancedpassive patrol-based monitoring and reportingsystems.
· Given that the majority of major saiga die-offevents are seasonally related, at or about the timeof calving, it is recommended that a surveillanceteam, is constituted annually, to spend 3-4 weeksobserving and studying the main saiga populationsin Kazakhstan, during and after calving.
· Research focuses on establishing normal healthparameters, undertakes analysis of the ecologicalcontext for health; behavioural, habitat, climate andfood (pasture) related aspects. In the event of anoutbreak, a full investigation by a predeterminedteam should be initiated immediately.
· Intervention during a disease outbreak depends onthe epidemiological information and opportunities toinfluence the outcome.
· For definitive diagnosis of any disease, a
years were any different than previous ones.It is also notable that there was no paralleloutbreak amongst livestock in the area.Isolation of bacteria like Pasteurella andClostridia is not unusual from tissuessampled post mortem: these organisms arenormally present in the respiratory andgastrointestinal tracts and thereforeopportunistically invade the body. Poornecropsy technique can also lead to samplecontamination with these bacteria.
It is proposed that although theisolation of Pasteurella and Clostridiafrom some of these cases is not in doubt, itis uncertain whether these organismsplayed a primary role in the diseasepathogenesis.
Secondly, these two years were notexceptional with respect to the generalpattern of saiga movements around the timeof calving but the latitude was further Norththan usual, the longitude further West andthe seasons were relatively warmer andwetter than earlier years.
Other observations of importance were theapparent sudden death of adults whilstgrazing, over only a few days, whilst calveswere apparently less affected, probablydying after the females through starvation.This is not typical of infectious disease. Andmost important the pattern of mortalityoccurred in both years in the same generalarea, and this suggests a location- specific orpasture association. The general character ofthese areas includes, higher density grass-dominated pastures with some concentrationof potentially toxic plants (Lepididiumperfoliatum, Lepidium ruderalis,Descurainia sophia, Thlaspi arvense), andother potentially bloat-forming plants(alfalfa - Medicago sp. (26%), Potentilla sp.and Polygonum sp.). These species wereconcentrated in wetter nutrient-rich pasturesin slight depressions in the topography.
Video and photographic evidence and observationssuggest that the animals suffered rapid onset bloat, mildgastroenteritis and respiratory distress with sudden deathwhilst grazing on rich steppe pastures. Warmth andwetness in spring results in rapid nutrient-rich vegetationgrowth which is why saiga have evolved to calve at thistime, but this is also a more risky diet, which can lead todigestive disturbance. Livestock suffer a similarsyndrome associated with particular pastures or plants inspring and autumn. This is sometimes called “FogFever” due to its association with foggage pastures(rich grass pasture used for hay).
To move saiga health science forward and to ensureappropriate intervention in the future, it is recommendedthat:· Surveillance is situation based i.e. it is adaptive to
the circumstances, combining both passive andactive methodologies. This will involve creating a
May 2010 Temperaturemax 30° C mean 20° C+/-5° C above long term
Borsy
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Sketches of Borsy region May 2010 and 2011 showing saiga calving andgrazing movements, highlighting the rich pasture associated with the local
topography at time of heavy rain and unusually warm temperatures.
UNEP/CMS in collaboration with GRID-Arendallaunched a Rapid Response Assessment on “Livingplanet: connected planet” at COP10 highlighting theurgent need for ecological networks. The saiga antelopewas featured as a case study thanks to significant inputfrom the saiga expert community.
Maps from the publication are available for freedownload and unrestricted use here:http://maps.grida.no/go/collection/living-planet-connected-planet-rapid-response-assessment
The saiga range states Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan andMongolia were present in Norway and activelycontributed to the Scientific Council and COP10discussions. Neighbouring countries present includedKyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; Tajikistan one of theproponents of the successful listing of the argali (Ovisammon) on CMS Appendix II. Central Asian countriesalso actively participated in the working groupconcerning the up-listing of the Saker falcon (Falcocherrug) on CMS Appendix I. Prior to COP10 the firstMeeting of Signatories to the Memorandum ofUnderstanding on the Conservation and Restoration of theBukhara Deer was held in Bergen with a number ofCentral Asian countries participating.
multidisciplinary team isrequired and a set list oflaboratories and contactpersons must beestablished, for the varioustests that might be applied,and resources provided toensure swift analysis. Whereappropriate this shouldinclude internationallaboratories.
· Capacity building will beessential. This should involvemultiple institutions. It isrecommended that a unit isestablished and based in theMinistry responsible forsaigas, including, a rangelandscientist or general ecologist,a veterinary epidemiologist or disease ecologistand a wildlife field veterinarian (with access toappropriate support staff and equipment for fieldwork), trained in the appropriate scientificdiscipline to enable effective wildlife health anddisease investigation, analysis, intervention andcontrol or management.
At the end of 2011 the representativesof more than 80 governments met inNorway to discuss the globalconservation of migratory species suchas the saiga antelope. The overall theme
of the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the Conventionon Migratory Species (CMS) was “Networking forMigratory Species”. This served not only to highlight theimportance of critical site identification and connectivitybetween sites for the conservation of migratory species,but also the importance of closer collaboration betweenall the different stakeholders, from governments to localpeople. Out of the 28 Resolutions adopted at COP10 anumber are of relevance to the saiga community.
Resolution 10.3 on Ecological Networks is likely topave the ground for further international ecologicalnetworks for migratory species. For the saiga antelope theneed for identification and protection of critical sites, oneither a temporary or permanent basis, was alreadyhighlighted at the 2nd Meeting of Signatories(Ulaanbaatar, September 2010) and at a CMS workshopaddressing implementation of the CMS SaigaMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Kazakhstan(Astana, February 2011).
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UpdatesCMS COP10: Networking for Migratory Species
Aline Kuhl and Christiane Roettger, UNEP/CMS Secretariat
Map of Borsy district, showing the approximate extent of the calving and die-off areas(provided by Bakytbek Dysekeev ([email protected]) modified from original
Okhotzooprom figure for clarity by Til Deiterich).
BORSY
Pictures (extracted from the video of Okhotzooprom) of a dyingsaiga showing collapse, bloat, cyanosis (asphyxia) and bloodtinged froth exuded from the respiratory tract post mortem.
Saiga antelopes are also likely to benefit from activitiesrelated to the draft CMS Action Plan on Central Eurasianarid land mammals, which were discussed at theScientific Council and which will be further developed inclose consultation with range states and experts over thecourse of 2012.
For further information, see www.cms.int andhttp://www.cms.int/bodies/COP/cop10/media.htm. Youcan also contact Ms. Christiane Roettger, CMS RegionalOfficer for Central Asia [email protected], and Dr. TaejMundkur, Appointed Councillor for Asiatic Fauna,[email protected].
conservation in the North-West pre-Caspian region ofRussia. Together with young scientists from othercountries, I was privileged to express my greatappreciation of WCN's support of our activities, bothduring the official receptions and in personal interviewswith the program sponsors, donors and WCN staff.
The conservation of saiga antelopes and argalis wascomprehensively discussed during two side events.Problems of infrastructure development posing barriers tothe migration of large ungulates in Mongolia receivedgreat attention during the Scientific Council meeting andside events. A case study on the effects of infrastructuredevelopments such as roads and trains on habitatfragmentation and the migration routes of ungulates suchas the saiga and Mongolian gazelle was presented byWWF Mongolia (see the article in this issue of SaigaNews). This study was funded by Monaco and waswelcomed by participants as a first step towards furtheraction to mitigate the negative effects of infrastructure onmigratory mammals.
The 10th annual conservation exhibition (‘Expo’)organized by the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN)was held on October 1, 2011 in San Francisco, USA. Thisproved to be a spectacular event not only for WCN butfor all its partners engaged in the conservation ofthreatened species worldwide.
In this remarkable year, WCN again presentedconservationists with a unique opportunity to tell theAmerican public about their achievements, explain thechallenges they face, meet donors, volunteers, experts inmany different spheres of conservation and, mostimportantly, exchange experiences with otherenvironmentalists who operate many thousands ofkilometres apart yet encounter the same difficulties anddevote themselves to their work with the same unfailingpassion.
As usual, along with the Expo proper, workshops andmeetings with donors were organised for WCN partnersduring Expo week. At the first session, as a grant holderof WCN's program for the support of young scientists, Ipresented the results of my work on saiga
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The 10th anniversary WCN conservation exhibitionNadezhda Arylova, The Centre for Wild Animals of the Republic of Kalmykia, [email protected]
The Bukhara Deer MoUwith Christiane Röttger, Khairbek Mussabayev,
Elizabeth Mrema and Melanie Virtu.
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Charlie Knowles introduces the WCN grant holdersto the public.
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Eva Klebelsberg, ACBK, presents trendsand lessons learned on saiga conservation
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conservationist Jane Goodall was an impressive event.She said: “For me coming to these meetings each year isso important, so inspirational. We are living in a world introuble and coming here and finding so many passionatededicated people – especially young people – istremendously inspiring”. The presentations by theconservationists – representatives of WCN’s partnerorganizations and newly invited potential partners -aroused great interest. In the hall and at the and thedemonstration stands, the Expo guests familiarizedthemselves with all kinds of animals, with thepeculiarities of their ecology, and also with the peopleand culture of the countries where they live.
It may safely be said that the SCA is one of the mostactive WCN partners. Over the years of their cooperationwith WCN, a great deal of work has been put in topromoting saiga conservation to the internationalcommunity. The Expo was a success, the saiga attractedgreat interest and support from the public. Myparticipation in the 2011 Expo was very important anduseful for me and I am sure that it has given me a newpowerful impetus for further activities for theconservation of this unique steppe antelope. I am takingthis opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to WCNfor the organization of this event and for the opportunityto take part in it.
Starting in Rostov-on-Don, a group of North Americantourists worked their way through the Republic ofKalmykia to the historic city of Astrakhan, visiting keySCA project sites along the way, including the Centre forWild Animals in the Republic of Kalmykia and Stepnoinature reserve in Astrakhan province. Other highlightsincluded visits to Yashkul’ village school and the RostovBiosphere Reserve, and a boat trip on the Volga Delta.
We are indebted to a number of conservation expertswho kindly accompanied the tour at various points_
My participation in the workshops allowed me to learn atfirst hand about the subtleties of fundraising includingpractical advice on how to carry on a dialogue withdonors, practical recommendations and master-classes onskills such as grant-writing, performance evaluation andstrategic planning, use of business technologies andunconventional monitoring methods (such as snifferdogs). Based on the information obtained, I have acquireda real practical understanding of modern methods inconservation, which will be especially important forworking in Russia.
A guest of honour and a fascination at the dinner partywas the famous Hollywood actress Isabella Rossellini,who not only inspired the ecologists by her presence butalso undoubtedly attracted public attention to the animalspecies which are in need of aid and WCN's conservationactivities for them. The event had an informal way ofcommunicating that was very surprising for me, since itallowed conservationists to make new acquaintances,exchange information and experience, and to establishpersonal contacts with potential donors.
It was the Expo day itself that was the grandest andmost thrilling event; it gathered together over a thousandguests - nature enthusiasts and scientists, representativesof conservation organizations from all the corners of theglobe. The speech by the world-reknowned
The 7th September 2011 saw the successful completionof the Saiga Conservation Alliance’s first saiga ecotour.The SCA has worked over the last two years to develop atour of the saiga range area in southern Russia in order toprovide much-needed support for saiga conservationprojects in the region, whilst also providing a source ofincome for the local economy and fostering links with thewider international community. To this end the SCAcollaborated with a with a local tour company, SagaVoyages, who arranged a 10-day tour of the area’s richnatural history and iconic cultures.
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The SCA stand.
Actress Isabella Rossellini makes a speech.
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First international saiga ecotour to southern RussiaAnthony Dancer, SCA, [email protected]
was so encouraging, it gives me hope.”It is hoped that the tour will continue to operate on an
annual basis, providing a consistent and reliable stream ofsupport for saiga conservation and drawing internationalattention to the challenges faced by biodiversity insouthern Russia. Preparations are now underway for thenext tour, with departure planned for late August 2012.The tour will be advertised to the SCA mailing list and atthe SCA website, as well as to the general public.
Please contact [email protected] if you areinterested.
nature-loving tourists to these wild steppe areas wouldwork and whether it could benefit local people as well asconservation.
The tour went into the centre of the Kazakh steppe, oneof the last large wilderness areas of the world and anecosystem rich in biodiversity, which depends on thegrazing of one of the last long-distance migratingungulates, the saiga antelope. As the Betpak-Dalapopulation of saigas has increased significantly overrecent years, it seemed feasible to conduct this first tourto this area. The tour was timed for June, when the saigas_
throughout the trip, including the Director of the RostovReserve Ludmila Klets and her colleagues AlexanderLipkovitch, Vladimir Kazmin and Viktor Fedosov; ViktorPetrenko of the Steppe Wildlife Association; Yuri Arylov(Director of the Centre for Wild Animals); and AnatolyKhludnev (Director of the Stepnoi nature reserve).
Feedback from the tour was extremely positive, focusingon the personal element provided by direct contact withsaiga conservationists. Canadian Debbie Chorneykocommented “To meet the people who are trying to helpthe saiga, to see their incredible dedication and caring
From 31 May to 9 June 2011 the Association for theConservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK)together with Nomadic Travel conducted the first "SaigaPhoto Safari" to the project area of the Altyn DalaConservtion Initiative. The trip was a pilot project,exploring the options for nature and wildlife tourism inthe Golden Steppe of Kazakhstan. The idea behind theproject is that well managed eco-tourism could be asustainable source of funding for the ACBK wildlifemanagement areas, as well as a source of income for thelocal population in this very remote area. So the intentionof this trip was to find out whether or not bringing
7Saiga News
Tourists at the Yashkul’ captive breeding centre (left) and during the boat trip on the Volga River (right).
The first saiga photo safari to Altyn DalaDagmar Andres-Brümmer, Frankfurt Zoological Society, [email protected]
Observation for Caspian plover that is rare species for European bird watchers
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The Invisible SaigasThe Betpak-dala population has been increasing and
just a few weeks prior to the "Saiga Safari" ADCI teammembers had observed approximately 20,000 saigas inone place during calving. This raised hopes thatapproaching the herds to take pictures of the animalswould be feasible. Unfortunately the weather and thesaigas were not very co-operative. The spring of 2011was fairly rainy and so the saigas did not need to visit theusual watering holes, as the ACBK team had expected.For 6 days we tried to find those legendary "large herds"that rangers had seen quite close to the camp just a fewdays previously. But the saigas remained more or lessinvisible. The closest we came to a herd of maybe 30 to40 animals was a few hundred meters, but the herdquickly vanished behind the horizon. To make mattersworse, heavy rains during the first two days led to badroad conditions, limiting daily field trips in the vicinity ofthe camp. But nevertheless we saw saigas. And given thefact that these animals still are under pressure frompoaching and that the population is still small comparedto what it once was, we can consider ourselves lucky.Only two or three years back this would certainly nothave been possible.
A Chance for Tourism With regards to the very special steppe landscape and
the remoteness of the area, Altyn Dala could be adestination for special interest groups. Even though thenumber of tourists will never be extremely high, there ispotential to establish nature tourism on a sustainablelevel. And local people could clearly benefit from toursstopping at their farms for an overnight stay or for meals.
Furthermore safaris to the area could be combined withother activities such as hiking or horse riding, making itattractive to different target groups. And with the plannedreintroduction of Przewalski's horses and wild asses, theAltyn Dala area will become even more attractive to eco-tourism. Furthermore there seems to be interest in "wolfwatching", so the wolf population could be an additionalasset for nature tourism in the area. Besides that, tourismcould potentially raise awareness within the country ofthe need of conservation.
If you are interested in taking a steppe safari tour withus, please contact Olga Klimanova,[email protected]
current status of the saiga population in the North-Western pre-Caspian region, the causes of their decline,and what is being done in our Republic to preserve thisantelope which is recognized as the world's naturalheritage. The children could see how the saigas live inlarge, spacious enclosures and how the breeding centre_
had already given birth to their calves and had just left thecalving grounds.
The tour began and ended at Zhezkazgan Airport andwas guided by saiga experts Orken Shaimukhanbetov andEva Klebelsberg of ACBK as well as rangers from thewildlife management area. The group travelled to Ulytauand spent the night at a private farm. The hospitality ofthe family was impressive and accommodation and mealswere very traditional and authentic, making the stay agreat experience for all guests. The following morning thegroup drove to the camp at Altybai, in the centre of theACBK wildlife management area, where they would stayfor 6 days to observe saigas and other wildlife.
A Camp in the SteppeThe camp was located far from civilization on the river
banks of the small meandering river Uly-Zhylanshyk.Two traditional yurts, comfortably furnished anddecorated with traditional Kazakh carpets and ornaments,served as accommodation. Two cooks from a localcommunity prepared excellent traditional Kazakh food -just slightly adapted to European taste.
The area around the Altybai camp represents a very rareecosystem in the steppe. Wild boar, wolves and manybird species use the oleaster groves for shelter and food.The large variety and abundance of birds makes itattractive to bird watchers, especially as rare birds such asthe Caspian plover can be observed. Many differentspecies of small mammals, reptiles, dragonflies or beetlesare present and easy to observe. Tracks and signs of wolf,wild boar, badger and of course of saiga can easily befound. An exciting area for anybody who is interested inecology and nature.
In November, 2011, the students of the 9th-10th classesof our school visited the Yashkul captive breeding centrein order to consolidate the knowledge about the saiga thatthe children had gained during their biology lessons. Onlyhere could the children see with their own eyes the saigasabout which they had read in books, learn about the_8 Issue 14, Winter 2011/2012
A tourist helps to set camera for wolf monitoring.
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How to see a real saiga, or a trip to the Yashkul’ Breeding CentreChingis Minkeyev, Lidzhi-Goryayev Tyurbya North secondary school, Lagan District,
the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia
The authors thank everybody who has supported themaking of this film.
Please contact us at [email protected] and [email protected] if you would like to receive a copy ofthe documentary.
The agreement provides for joint activities to determinethe timing of saiga use of specific areas, the directionsand lengths of their migratory routes, to developmonitoring methods and to track their movements inborder areas. The parties will also prepare proposals onthe improvement of legislation for conservation ofendangered species.
For more information, refer to:http://www.newsland.ru/news/detail/id/802756/,http://eco.ria.ru/nature/20111014/458980750.html.
staff attend to them. In the Visitor Centre we had theopportunity to watch a video about the saiga in Kalmykiawhich evoked a lot of emotion; we learnt about the workof the Centre’s staff in more detail; asked interestingquestions; and we saw art works about saigas created bychildren from other schools in the Republic.
It was also very interesting to watch other animals keptin the Centre's enclosures; a bison, wild boars, an ostrich,wild birds, camels. As a result, the children got to know alot of amazing and interesting things about their nativeland, realized the importance of their involvement in theconservation not only of the saiga but of all the uniquebiodiversity of our Republic and the world as a whole.The children liked the excursion very much and it wasvery useful for the teachers.
We are grateful to the Centre staff for the opportunitythat they gave us to visit and for their warm welcome, andto the organizers for making this trip a reality.
In autumn 2011, presentations were held in Uzbekistanof the new documentary film about saiga conservation,“At the End of the Line”. The film was created by theGALA-Film studio on the initiative of the SCA and withfinancial support from Coins for Change Disney Canada,the Marsh Christian Trust and DVV International. Thefilm narrates the inseparably associated fates of thepeople and saigas who have lived side by side on theUstyurt plateau for many centuries. It was created withthe active support and participation of the communities ofJaslyk, Karakalpakiya and Kubla-Ustyurt. The film'sauthors highlighted the causes of the ongoing illegal saigahunting in Uzbekistan, introduced viewers to the uniquehabitat of this animal, and to its biological characteristics.The film shows how to improve the protection of thisendangered steppe antelope based on existing natureprotection legislation and traditional modes of economicmanagement. The film was shot in Uzbekistan and Russiaand is released in 4 languages: Uzbek, Karakalpak,Russian and English.
A bilateral agreement on theconservation of the Ural saigapopulation is in preparation
Russia and Kazakhstan plan to sign an agreement onthe conservation, restoration and use of the Ural saigapopulation. The draft agreement has been prepared and isready for signing by the Ministry of Agriculture of theRepublic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of NaturalResources and Ecology of the Russian Federation.
Saiga News 9
Film producer Galina Vinogradova and cameraman AlexanderKlepalov at the filming site in the Astrakhan region.
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Students of the Lidzhi-Goryayev Tyurbya Northsecondary school at the entrance to the Yashkul’ captive
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A new documentary film about the saiga has been screenedin the Ustyurt villages
Elena Bykova, SCA, [email protected]
Media reports:
«The Saga of the Saiga 2»has won a special prize
at the Baikal Film FestivalOn October 7-10, 2011, the 10th Anniversary Baikal
International “Man and Nature” Festival of Documentary,Popular Science, and Educational Films was held inIrkutsk (Russia). The film "The Saga of the Saiga2"was awinner in the category of best animation for children.
The film also received a special prize from the phonecompany Mega-Fon, the festival’s main sponsor, and theDiploma of the Baikal-Lena State Wilderness Area. Thefilm, a sequel to the highly successful "Saga of theSaiga", is based on stories submitted by schoolchildren toa writing competition.
The cartoon's director, Makhsut Zharimbetov(Kazakhstan), tells the story of life today in the CentralAsian steppe. The central characters are the saigas, onceabundant in this part of the world, but whose numbers aredecreasing from year to year due to people's actions. "It isimportant that not only professional film directors andscript writers participated in the creation of this film, butchildren as well. This very educational, warm and movingstory is a good lesson for future generations” noted themanager of the Irkutsk regional branch of Mega-Fonduring the awards ceremony.
For more information, refer to:http://www.snews.ru/press_reliz.php?id=31481.
The instutional structures of theIrgyz-Turgai nature reserve
have been put in placeIn October 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture of the
Republic of Kazakhstan completed the development ofthe administrative structures for the Irgyz-Turgai statenature reserve. Created in 2007, the Irgyz-Turgai naturereserve is the first Protected Area with this designation inthe steppe region of Kazakhstan. It is located in theAktyubinsk oblast and covers an area exceeding 700thousand hectares. The nature reserve has an authorizedstaff size of 99 employees. The reserve's main objective isensuring the protection of the Bekpakdala saigapopulation, as a symbol of the Kazakhstan steppe.
For more information, refer to:http://inform.kz/rus/article/2413477.
A saiga ground surveyhas been carried out
in KalmykiaOn October 22-25, 2011, a vehicle survey for saigas
was conducted in the Republic of Kalmykia. The censusestimated the total number of animals at 12,870, about2,000-4,000 higher than the 2010 population estimate(based on different methods). An inter-departmentalcommission was created to carry out the census, usingguidelines developed by the Moscow branch of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Hunting andAnimal Breeding and the Chernye Zemli Nature Reserve.
Prior to the census, reserve staff collected informationabout the current location of the saiga population withinthe Republic. The census area was defined based on thisinformation and10 parallel north-south transects weredriven spaced 5 km apart and 40–65 km long. Thenumber of saigas observed at each encounter was noted,along with the time, vehicle speed, distance along thetransect, if possible the age/sex composition of the group,and the distance between the group and the transect atfirst and last detection. The data obtained were processedusing the “Saiga Assessment” computer program.
Based on theresults of the survey, the commission hasmade a number of recommendations and proposals.Specifically, it was recommended the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environmental Protection of the Republicof Kalmykia should set up two new regional reserves(zakazniks) in order to enhance saiga protection; onebetween the Chernye Zemli reserve and theMeklektinsky federal zakaznik and another near thevillage of Artezian. It was also recommended that theFederal Ministry of Nature Protection and the Ministry ofNature Protection of the Republic of Kalmykia shouldcreate a joint anti-poaching team.
For more information, refer to:http://savesteppe.org/ru/archives/7447.
Issue 14, Winter 2011/201210
Makhsut Zharimbetov at the awards ceremony.
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pairs of saiga horns was detained at the railway station inSamarkand city. The illegal load was detained by thetransport police and passed for identification to theInspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora. Thecase has been submitted for examination to theSamarkand transport prosecutor's office.
The Betpakdala population
September 25, 2011Two poachers were detained in the Irgiz district,
Aktyubinsk Region, Kazakhstan, by officers of the andthe game management organisation Okhotzooprom. Twopairs of saiga horns and a sporting gun were found onthem. Two dehorned saiga carcasses were found not farfrom the place where they were detained. A criminal caseunder section 288 of the Criminal Code (covering illegalhunting) is under consideration.
For more information, please follow the linkhttp://www.newskaz.ru/incidents/20110929/1950792.html.
October 20, 2011In the course of their operations, the environmental
police have detained poachers engaged in illegal saigahunts, residents of Terenozek village, Syr Darya region,Kazakhstan. The police found five saiga carcasses andcartridges on the poachers. A criminal case under section288 of the Criminal Code (illegal hunting) is underconsideration. For more information, please follow thelink http://www.kazakh-zerno.kz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id= 46398:2011-10-20-05-13-10&catid=14&Itemid=80
November 17, 2011On the border of the Kyzylorda and Karaganda regions,
Kazakhstan, a joint operation of the environmental policeand the game management organisation Okhotzoopromdetained two residents of Karaganda region aged 31 and38, engaged in illegal hunting of saigas. A saiga carcassand a sporting gun with cartridges were found in theirvehicle. A criminal case has been initiated under section288 of the Criminal Code.
For more information, please follow the linkhttp://today.kz/ru/news/incident/2011-11-17/54344
TNT continues to supportthe saiga conservation programme
in KalmykiaSince 2003, the Russian branch of TNTExpress has been giving support to theYashkul’ saiga breeding centre, part
of the Centre for Wild Animals of the Republic ofKalmykia (see Saiga News-3). In October 2011 on theinitiative of the company director Karro van Graafland, agrant of 300,000roubles was given to the Centre for thepurchase of fodder and fuel, repairs, extension ofenclosures and other costs. TNT's assistance could nothave come at a better time since winter had set in,requiring a lot of effort to care for, feed and protect theanimals. Currently, 76 saigas are housed at the breedingcentre, including 26 juveniles born in spring 2011. As atoken of gratitude for his ongoing support, Mr. vanGraafland was awarded a Certificate of Honour of theGovernment of Kalmykia. For more information, refer tothe newspaper "Izvestiya Kalmykii", October 22, 2011.
Cases of saiga poachingThe Ustyurt population
August 19, 2011In the Aktyubinsk region of Kazakhstan three jeeps
were observed, which managed to escape. Four dehornedsaiga carcasses were found. This incident has beenregistered by the Department of Internal Affairs; theinvestigation is underway.
For more information, please follow the linkhttp://kt.kz/?lang=rus&uin=1133167994&chapter=1153543930.
August 28, 2011At the Gisht-Kuprik customs office in the Tashkent
region of Uzbekistan, a pair of mature saiga horns and asingle maral horn were confiscated. They had beenbrought into the country by a resident of the FerganaValley in neighbouring Kazakhstan. This case is currentlyunder investigation.
December 27, 2012State inspectors of the Specialized Amudarya
Inspectorate of the State Biological Control Agency(under the State Committee for Nature Protection of theRepublic of Uzbekistan) detained a group of saigapoachers in Muinak district of the Republic ofKarakalpakstan, Uzbekistan. The dressed carcass of ayoung saiga female was confiscated as material evidence.While being arrested, the poachers, residents of Muinak,put up resistance. Evidence has been submitted to theAral nature conservation public prosecutor's office and aninvestigation is underway. The poachers' vehicle and tworifles were confiscated and kept by the DistrictDepartment of Internal Affairs.
On the same day an Uzbekistan citizen carrying 67_
Saiga News 11
Saiga horns confiscated in Samarkand.
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detained a Toyota with a Russian licence plate driven by acitizen of Astrakhan (Russia). The vehicle contained abag of 93 saiga horns. According to the driver, the bagbelonged to the vehicle's passenger, who was from SouthKazakhstan region.
On November 30, frontier guards and KurmangazDistrict Department of Internal Affairs officers stopped avehicle which was crossing the Russia-Kazakhstan bordernear the village of Baida. The 51-year-old passenger,from South Kazakhstan region, was carrying 177 saigahorns.
Another case of smuggling at the Shep checkpointhappened on December 1 2011. Police officers stopped avehicle with a resident of Astrakhan region at the wheel,and found a bag of 46 saiga horns belonging to a 20 yearold South Kazakhstan resident. In order to avoid beingcharged, the man attempted to give the police officers abribe of 5000 tenge and 1000 roubles. A criminal case hasbeen initiated under section 183 of the Criminal Code ofKazakhstan, while charges of smuggling and attemptedbribery are still under consideration.
For more information, go to:http://inform.kz/rus/article/2423696,http://www.volgograd.kp.ru/online/news/1029132/,http://caspionews.kz/?p=8476 and others.
China
October 1, 2011Manchurian customs have detained a Chinese citizen whowas attempting to smuggle 6 saiga horns from Russia toChina. During the examination of the man's luggage atcustoms, the officer noticed some suspicious conical-shaped items. This case is currently under investigation.
For more information, go tohttp://www.chita.ru/news/33468/ andhttp://legal.gmw.cn/2011-10/01/content_2728912.htm.
December 29, 2011Officers of the Irgiz District Department of Internal
Affairs, Aktyubinsk Region, Kazakhstan, detained twopoachers, residents of the Saksaul station, Kyzylordaregion, who had hunted saigas in the Bestobe area, Irgizdistrict. In the passenger compartment of their ToyotaLand Cruiser the police found and confiscated anunlicensed double-barrelled sporting gun. Five dehornedsaiga carcasses were found along the route of thedetainees’ vehicle. A criminal case has been initiatedunder section 288 of the Criminal Code (illegal hunting).
For more information, please follow the linkhttp://inform.kz/rus/article/2429757
January 6, 2011A joint operation of the environmental police and the
game management organisation Okhotzooprom detaineda Toyota Land Cruiser 120 kilometres from Kyzylorda. Inthe off-road vehicle’s boot, the police found three saigacarcasses, and a sporting gun and cartridges in thepassenger compartment. The poaching group comprisedfour residents of Kyzylorda and one person from Shielidistrict. The Kyzylorda Department for Internal Affairshas initiated a criminal case under section 288 of theCriminal Code.
For more information, please follow the linkhttp://inform.kz/rus/article/2431127
Late 2011-early 2012Five former police officers have been detained for
shooting saigas in two separate incidents in Kyzylordaprovince, Kazakhstan. On 30 December 2011,environmental police officers detained two suspicious off-road vehicles in the steppes of the Karmakshi district.Inside the vehicles were three people, one of whom wasthe former deputy head of Zhalagash District Departmentof Internal Affairs. Twenty-six saiga carcasses werefound in the vehicles. On 14 January 2012, officers of theSyrdarya District Department of Internal Affairs detaineda vehicle in the Kumkol area, in the boot of which theyfound 32 saiga carcasses. Two residents of Kyzylordawere in the vehicle, one of whom had been dismissedfrom the Department of Internal Affairs in 2006 and theother in 2010. Legal proceedings have been initiated.
For more information, please go to:http://www.caravan.kz/article/40313,http://inform.kz/rus/article/2434028
Russia/Kazakhstan border
November-December, 2011Over a week at the end of 2011, the Atyrau police and
frontier guards prevented three cases of smuggling ofsaiga horns into Kazakhstan from Russia. These cases ofhorn smuggling are becoming more frequent, and Kazakhcustoms inspectors are keen to discover the cause of thistrend in collaboration with their Russian colleagues, aswell as the origin of the horns. It is possible that acriminal gang is poaching saigas in the Astrakhan region.
On November 28, at the Shep checkpoint in theKurmangaz district of Kazakhstan, police officers
Issue 14, Winter 2011/201212
A saiga carcass found in the car boot, Karaganda region,Kazakhstan (left). «I will buy old saiga horns» - these ads filled
the streets of Aktau, Kazakhstan in summer 2011 (right).
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gazelle populations will be divided into five and sevenpopulations respectively. The Mongolian saiga populationwill be isolated in two separate populations.
Busy transportation routes and long fences impede themovement of large herbivores by creating barriers toaccessing important resources or by forcing them tomake large detours to gain access. Both barriers andhabitat fragmentation, reduce the capacity of wildlifepopulations to “outrun” droughts or harsh winters bymoving to better areas. Without this escape option, intra-and inter-specific competition is likely to be high,resulting in poor body condition, poor recruitment, andhigh mortality.
Many animal species all over the planet have habitatsthat are used for only part of the year, because of seasonalclimate changes or shifts in the food supply. Animalspecies whose life histories entail long-distancemovements may be especially sensitive to habitatfragmentation and human-generated barriers tomovement. Linear developments such as railways, roadsand pipelines can have significant impacts on wildlifemovement and survival. The CMS has identified barriersto migration as a key priority for the conservation ofmigratory species. In Central Asia and in Mongolia inparticular, the number of planned and constructed largeinfrastructure projects (including railways, mining sites,pipelines, border fences, roads, etc.) has increased rapidlyover the last few years.
Given the number of infrastructureprojects planned and currently beingimplemented in the open and still largelyinterconnected landscapes of Mongolia (e.g.the Millennium Road project by theMongolian Government, the AsianDevelopment Bank's road improvementprojects etc.), a comprehensive assessmentof the effects of these projects on migratorymammals is needed to inform relevantpolicy processes and ensure that the integrityof habitat and migration routes ismaintained.
UNEP/CMS agreed to cooperate with theWWF Mongolia Programme Office toanalyse the effects of linear infrastructure onmigratory terrestrial mammals in Mongoliaas a case study. There is an urgent need toidentify the effects of the currentinfrastructure developments on CMS-listedmigratory ungulates such as the goiteredgazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), Mongoliangazelle (Procapra gutturosa), Asiatic wildass or kulan (Equus hemionus), andMongolian saiga (Saiga borealis) in order todevelop recommendations and appropriatemeasures to avoid negative impact on thesespecies.
The planned road and rail constructionswill run through critical habitats for thesespecies and, without mitigation measures,will represent a major barrier to migration.After construction of the planned railway in2025, the Mongolian gazelle population willbe divided into nine isolated populationsseparated by railway and border fences,while the kulan population and goitered
Saiga News 13
Map 1.Location of strategically significant mining deposits in Mongolia.
ArticlesAnalyzing the effects of infrastructure on migratory
terrestrial mammals in MongoliaB.Lkhagvasuren, B.Chimeddorj and D.Sanjmyatav
WWF Mongolia Programme Office, [email protected], [email protected]
Map 2.Existing and planned railways through the habitats of migratoryungulates in Mongolia will divide ungulate populations into small
and isolated populations.
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unavoidable impacts, biodiversity offsets should beconsidered. Guidelines should be developed onappropriate measures to mitigate negative impacts, suchas development of under- or overpasses at criticalmigration points. If fences are mandatory, then unfencedareas should be left where wildlife is frequently trying tocross the railway, and fences constructed only in areaswhere human and livestock densities are high. If fencesare constructed, there should be no barbs on the top andbottom strands of wire.
The full report upon which this article is based isavailable at:http://www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/17th_scientific_council/I
nf_23_Migration_Barriers_WWF_Mongolia_E.pdf
in Mongolia. As result of the privatization of livestock inthe 1990s, livestock numbers have increased rapidly andlivestock biomass in the saiga range currently exceedsthat of saiga by a ratio of nearly 50:1. Recent increases inlivestock numbers have potentially reduced the capacityof habitats to sustain saigas because of forage orinterference competition. Since livestock husbandry isone of the most important industries for Mongolia,sustainable use of the grassland by good livestockmanagement is needed to minimise their negative impactson the ecosystem, including the saiga. This is the firststudy on the food habits and dietary overlap betweenMongolian saigas and livestock.
Measures to mitigate impacts and recommendationsThe study showed that the migratory ungulate species
likely to be most affected by these developments are theMongolian and goitered gazelles and the kulan. Currently,the Mongolian saiga population is not affected byinfrastructure developments within its range, although theplans to construct paved roads and railways through itsrange in around 2025 are on the policy agenda.
The report recommended that governmental and non-governmental organizations, national and internationalbodies involved in mining and infrastructuredevelopments in Mongolia should take into accountwildlife-friendly options in their construction anddevelopment projects, so as not to repeat the mistakes andmismanagement that have occurred in the recent historyof Mongolia.
Detailed biodiversity assessments need to beundertaken in the affected regions as a basis fordeveloping and implementing a long term biodiversitymonitoring programme. Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIAs) must be done prior to anydevelopments, including monitoring of wildlifemovements and identification of critical habitats andseasonal ranges. In order to mitigate potential
There are increasing concerns worldwide concerningthe effects of livestock on wild ungulates throughcompetition for forage and access to water. This isparticularly the case in Mongolia because the country hasa long history of livestock grazing as well as harbouringwild ungulates such as the Mongolian gazelle (Procapragutturosa), the kulan or wild ass (Equus hemionus), argalisheep (Ovis ammon), and Mongolian saiga (Saigaborealis). The Mongolian saiga occurs in the westernMongolian Gobi steppe-desert with an estimatedpopulation of 5,000-7,000 individuals. Although thesaigas are relatively safe from poaching due to enhancedprotection, overgrazing by livestock is an imminent threat
Issue 14, Winter 2011/201214
Mongolian gazelle caught in barbed fence.
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Food habits and dietary overlap among livestockand saigas in Mongolia
Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Gundensambuu Gunbat and Todd K. FullerCorresponding author: Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Department of Environmental Conservation, University
of Massachusetts Amherst, USA, Wildlife Conservation Society, Mongolia Program, Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia, [email protected]
Editor's note: In accordance with Wilson and Reeder(2005) the Appendix-II listings of saiga antelope by theCMS and CITES have been updated to include twospecies, Saiga tatarica, in place of the sub-species S.t.tatarica and Saiga borealis in place of the sub-speciesS.t. mongolica. Hence for the moment we are referringto the Mongolian saiga as S. borealis. However, theevidence underlying this decision needs to be fullyexamined. We plan an article on this topic in the nextissue of Saiga News.
Running gazelles divided by fence.
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faeces (19-27%), Stipa grasses were dominant in thefaeces of horses (32%). Although Anabasis brevifolia wasthe third most frequently observed species in thevegetation plots after Allium spp. and Stipa gobica (Table1), it was found only in the faeces of saigas and camels,accounting for about 10% and 12%, respectively. Thefood habits of the Mongolian saiga in SNR were quitesimilar to those of sheep (OI = 0.96), and goats (OI =0.95) but were different from those of horses (OI = 0.88),and camels (OI = 0.73; Table 1). The least food overlapwas observed between goat and camels (OI = 0.71), whilethe overlap index was the greatest between goat andsheep (OI = 0.98; Table 1).
We studied the potential for foragecompetition between saigas and domesticlivestock in Sharga Nature Reserve (SNR),western Mongolia (Fig. 1). Fresh pellets ofsaigas and livestock (goats, sheep, horses, andcamels) were collected and used for theanalysis of plant fragments. To ease plantidentification, reference samples were madeusing leaves of representative food plants. Thefaecal analysis was done with the aid of adigital microscope. The degree of overlap infood composition was calculated usingPianka’s overlap index (OI). A value of 0means no overlap, and 1 means completeoverlap.
During the summer of 2010, 36 newborncalves (1- to 3days old) from 35 females werecaptured and fitted with 70-g expandable VHFradio-collars to help understand survival,movement, and habitat selection (Fig. 2).Animal handling methods were approved bythe University of Massachusetts AmherstInstitutional Animal Care and Use Committee. All radio-collared calves were monitored via telemetry 3–4 timesweekly. During Jun 10–Aug 20, 2010, 105 plots wereestablished where marked saiga antelopes had beenobserved within and beyond SNR, in order to understandhabitat selection by saiga calves (Fig. 1). Each plot wassubdivided into 5 adjacent 1-m2quadrats and the plantswithin were surveyed (n = 525 quadrats). The frequencyand percentage of occurrence were calculated for eachplant species recorded in the plots.
Twenty-five plant species were recorded in thevegetation plots, with .5 shrub species, 6 grasses, and 14forbs. Onions (Allium polyrrhizum and A. mongolicum)were the most frequently occurring species (in 432 of 525plots). Among the 5 most abundant species (those withpercentage of occurrence >40%), there were 3 species offorbs (Anabasis brevifolia, Allium polyrrhizum and A.mongolicum), one grass (Stipa gobica) and one shrub(Artemisia sp.).
The faecal composition of camels was different fromthat of the other ungulates (Table 1). Camelspredominantly fed on shrubs, with 49% of the faecescomprising shrub species. Allium appeared in greaterproportions than other plants in saiga, goat, and sheep
Saiga News 15
saiga sheep goat horse camelsaiga --sheep 0.96 --goat 0.95 0.98 --horse 0.88 0.92 0.96 --camel 0.73 0.78 0.71 0.78 --
Figure 1.A map of the study area and vegetation sampling points
in western Mongolia.
Table 1.Pianka’s indices of among-animal food overlap
in western Mongolia
Grazing herds of saiga antelopes in western Mongolia.
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The results suggest that saigas have a preference forfeeding on high quality plants such as Allium spp. andAnabaisis brevifolia, although vegetation availability anddiversity is low in comparison in study areas in otherparts of the country. Further, the food habits ofMongolian saigas were quite similar to sheep and goatsbut different from horses and camels, indicating thatcompetition for food resources between saigas and somelivestock species during food-limited periods ispotentially high. Similar research on Mongolian gazellesand argali sheep in Omnogobi and Dornogobi showedthey also have potentially competitive interactions withlivestock, particularly goat and sheep. Thus, from theviewpoint of pasture management and conservation of theendangered saiga antelope, grazing by goats and sheepshould be avoided in key saiga areas during the autumn.This will help to lessen food competition and guaranteeadequate food resources for the saigas to survive harshwinters.
Research into animal migration iscurrently undergoing a transformationworldwide, which has relevance to thestudy of saiga migration. Recenttechnological advances, such as GPScollars, have enabled researchers to movetowards studying the migration ofindividuals rather than large groups ofanimals. For example, research on thecauses of saiga migration has so farworked by looking for associationsbetween large groups of saigas and theseasonal high and lows of vegetationproductivity in different areas. Now thatGPS collars have been fitted to saigas (seeSaiga News-10, 12), it will be possible towork at the individual level, allowingmigration routes to be more accuratelypredicted, by examining how and whyhow individual animals decide upon theirmigratory route.
Migration research also now takes amore integrated approach and involves anumber of different disciplines. Studiesnow take account of factors such asgenetics, physiological processes andexternal conditions, the interactionsbetween them and how these factors feedinto the movement path of an animal.
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Issue 14, Winter 2011/201216
Avenues for future research into the migrationof the saiga antelope
Samuel CavenaghImperial College London, [email protected]
Conducting the vegetation survey in locations where markedsaiga antelopes were observed.
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Editor's note: This research was supported by anSCA Small Grant to Gundensambuu Gunbat as wellas a WCN scholarship to Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar.
Figure 1.A framework for the study of animal movement
proposed by Nathan et al 2008.Internal state (why move), Navigation capacity (where to move),
Motion capacity (how to move) and external factors all feed into to themovement path of an organism and interact with one another.
The degree of variation in the migratory patterns ofdifferent saiga individuals is currently unknown. Factorssuch as sex, age and dominance have been found to affectmovement patterns in other species such as moose. GPSdata, analysed using the NSD method, could be used tostudy the basis for such variation in saiga populations.Performing such analysis is important for conservationbecause considering only population-level patterns couldlead to areas utilised by certain components of thepopulation (e.g. males) being excluded from protectedareas.
Movement simulations that take account of individualvariation could be used to more accurately model saigamovement in the face of climatic and otherenvironmental change. Analyses such as these could usefuture environmental projections (such as those providedby the inter-governmental panel on climate change). Anindividual based movement model could then be run inthese projected future environments and areas forconservation prioritised based on the results obtained.
A framework prepared by Nathan et al. (2008)communicates this new interdisciplinary concept ofmigration research (Fig. 1).
Studying migration in line with this new researchconcept requires not only data on an animal’s location butalso information on the behaviour of the animal, its health(such as weight), environmental variables, and manyother factors. This bottom up approach takes the view thatmigratory choices are determined by factors originatingwithin the animal such as an animal’s perception of theenvironment.
There are three scales at which an animal’s movementcan be examined in order of increasingly fine scale (bothover time and space); the lifetime track, movementphases and movement steps (Fig. 2). A movement steprefers to two successive pieces of information on thelocation of the animal received via GPS- this is the finestscale at which analysis of movement can take place. Amovement phase consists of a number of movement stepsthat represent a behaviour intended to fulfil a certain goal(such as to escape a predator or reach an area of pasture).Movement phases are recognised as being vital in linkingtraditional observational research methods to newindividual-based approaches. New methods of analysissuch “net squared displacement” (NSD) can be used toidentify different movement phases by examiningstatistically the differences in distance, timing andduration of movement.
The new migration research methodology opens upnumerous opportunities for saiga research. For example,to what extent can individual saigas adapt their migrationpatterns? The answer to this question will have importantimplications for the saiga’s ability to cope with climaticand other changes in their environment and hence hasimportant consequences for conservation planning. Theability of individual saigas to adapt their movements tochanges in their environment will in large part depend onthe mechanism through which their migration operates.For example, is it reliant upon memory (perhapsgenetically determined), or do individuals responddirectly to cues in the environment and decide upon thebest way to migrate? The drive to migrate in saiga isalmost certainly genetically determined. Saiga calvesraised in captivity exhibit strong migratory urges.Whether the migratory direction of saiga is geneticallyfixed is however unclear. Studying the inter-year degreeof consistency in the route of individual saigas using GPScollars may help to answer this question. If individualsaigas are found to exhibit substantial inter-yearvariability in their migratory route this would besuggestive of the lack of a fixed genetic or memory-basedcontrol on their direction of migration, and insteadsuggest that saigas use environmental cues to determinetheir migratory routes.
Saiga News 17
Figure 2.Hypothetical yearly movement tracks for a saiga individual
(1. Movement path in year one, 2. Movement path in year two,3. Movement path in year three).
The middle picture shows a movement phase (a foraging phase).The top picture shows a fine scale movement within the
movement phase (a movement step).F. Foraging phase, M. Migration phase, C. Calving phase.
worldwide as well as the methods used both currently andhistorically in all saiga populations. Information was alsocollected on local resources, conditions and constraints,as well as potential monitors. A simulation was then usedto evaluate the cost of each method and the accuracy andprecision of the data that would be obtained. The studyidentified the following:
1. Estimating detectability substantially improvesthe accuracy of the monitoring data. Distancesampling would produce the most accurate data.
2. Cars or motorbikes were the most cost effectiveand feasible transport to use.
3. Counting saigas rather than faecal pellets ortracks should produce higher precision in theresults
4. The wages of the surveyor was generally thehighest cost in a monitoring program and soaffected the cost effectiveness of any method.
The study recommended that the most cost effective andaccurate monitoring method involved local scientists onmotorbikes travelling along transects counting saigasusing distance sampling. A pilot study implementedunder a Whitley award to Elena Bykova using thismethod is now currently being piloted. We hope to seethe results of this pilot later in 2012. If you would like acopy of the full report please contact me, Elena Bykova([email protected]) or E.J. Milner-Gulland ([email protected]). The report is currently availablein English and will soon be available in Russian.
range. The campaign aimed to increase knowledge aboutthe saiga and the challenges that the population faces,such as from poaching and disease. The overall goal wasto promote pro-saiga attitudes and behaviour, laying thefoundations for a long-term engagement programmeworking towards restoration of the saiga population.
ACBK visited each of the villages in January 2011before the campaign began, and interviewed villagers toascertain their knowledge of and attitudes toward saiga.Then ACBK ran information evenings in each of thevillages as well as education days in schools. Thecampaign culminated in a Saiga Day in each village, thesewere well attended and positively received by thevillagers and their children (see Saiga News-12).
A priority action of the CMS Medium TermInternational Work Programme is to obtain baselineinformation about the seasonal distribution of saigas inthe Ustyurt population. However, in recent years saigamonitoring in Uzbekistan has been quite limited as itfaces many challenges. Carrying out monitoring isexpensive so it is important to ensure it is carried out inthe most cost effective and accurate way. However, it isdifficult to know which method would be the mostsuccessful without trialling it in a pilot study. In June2011 I worked with collaborators in Uzbekistan toevaluate potential methods that could be used to monitorsaigas in order to inform a pilot study.
I evaluated all monitoring techniques used for ungulates
The Saiga Conservation Alliance’s project "Buildingpublic engagement for conservation of the Ural saigapopulation following a mass die-off" was initiated inAugust 2010 with the financial support of the Save OurSpecies programme, People's Trust for EndangeredSpecies and the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. Theproject arose in response to the mass death of saigas inUral in May 2010 (see SaigaNews-11 but also the articlein this issue), and was coordinated by the SCA's in-country partners the Association for the Conservation ofBiodiversity in Kazakhstan (ACBK), in conjunction withImperial College London.
The project involved the implementation of anenvironmental education campaign which was aimed atchildren and adults in key seven villages in the saiga's
Issue 14, Winter 2011/201218
An Evaluation of Potential Monitoring Methodsin Uzbekistan
Suzanne OffordImperial College London, [email protected]
Suzanne Offord and SCA team at a shepherd’s farm.
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Building public engagement for conservationof the Ural saiga population following a mass die-off
Carlyn Samuel, Olga Klimanova, Mirbulat Urymbaev, E.J. Milner-GullandCorresponding author: Carlyn Samuel, Imperial College London, [email protected]
Some respondents rated their experience of the campaignpositively because they appreciated the fact that eventswere free and in their own village.
People’s attitudes towards saiga conservation havesignificantly improved since the campaign started. Before
the campaign most people stated that they cared to acertain extent that saiga may disappear, with somestating that they did not care if saiga disappeared.After the campaign only a handful of people said thatthey would not care if the saiga disappeared and themajority agreed with the statement “I care very muchthat saiga may disappear”.
The project has demonstrated that awarenesscampaigns help to improve people's attitudes towardssaigas, and that local people in the Ural region arekeen to get involved in saiga conservation. The nextstep is to build saiga awareness events andenvironmental education into the annual schoolcalendar and build a constituency of support for saigaconservation in the region. This will enable the strongpositive feelings that have been generated by theproject to continue to grow, so that local people feelthat they themselves are able to contribute to saigaconservation, not just outsiders.
To assess the effectiveness of the project, almost 400local residents and children took part in a survey at theend of the project, in June 2011. Comparing the resultsfrom this survey with the initial survey helped provide aninsight into how knowledge, attitudes and behaviouralintentions may have been influenced by the campaign,and the major variables which influenced the success ofthe campaign. Additionally, the results shed light on how‘external’ conservation measures and processes arejudged by local people, and how this impacts theirsuccess. The study highlighted a successful campaignwith feelings of goodwill towards saiga conservation ingeneral, leading to a feeling of optimism for the role oflocal people in the conservation of the saiga. After thecampaign respondents’ knowledge was significantlyhigher than before the campaign, which may suggest thatthe campaign has led to better saiga knowledge in thepopulation as a whole. After the campaign respondentswere 38% more likely than before to report that they hadall the saiga information that they felt they needed. 93%of respondents thought that the information given to themduring the campaign was important, with one respondentstating; ‘Soon the saiga will disappear totally and it willbe just like the mammoth’.
Interestingly having the campaign delivered by peoplefrom outside their villages gave the information moreprominence. Some people felt having the campaign runby ‘outsiders’ gave it more weight, especially as ‘No onehas ever come to us before and we didn’t know about theproblems saiga face, our children have never seen saigaand now they understand their importance.’
One participant felt that the plight of the saiga has had alow profile in Kazakhstan and the awareness campaignhad had a positive effect in drawing attention to this: ‘Theawareness campaign helped us understand that the lossof saiga is our primary wildlife problem; many of us havealways lived here but never heard about saiga, noweveryone is talking about them all the time.’’ Severalrespondents thought the campaign was a success as it‘teaches children from an early age to respect andpreserve nature and wildlife’.
Saiga News 19
Carlyn Samuel with local residents and a group of ACBKvolunteers and students.
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This local girl was a very active participant in Saiga Day.
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One of the Russia’s high priority tasks is theimplementation of the Action Plan for saiga conservationand restoration as part of its commitment under the CMSMemorandum of Understanding signed by the RussianFederation in June 2009 in Bonn. This requires a revisionof the national plan for the conservation of this threatenedspecies. The revision and further implementation of thisplan is urgent because in Russia, and specifically in thenorth-west pre-Caspian region (Kalmykia, the AstrakhanRegion and the adjacent areas), most regrettably, the saigapopulation continues to decrease. It has reduced from 18-20,000in the early 2000s to around 7,000 now (see SaigaNews-13 but also the article in this issue), but also thearticle in this issue). Meanwhile, over the same period,under the same weather conditions and a similar patternof vegetation change, in Kazakhstan the total number ofsaigas has grown from 20,000 to more than 100,000, andnumbers in the Betpakdala population from an estimated3-4,000 in 2002-2003 to over 70,000 in 2011. Theexample of the Republic of Kazakhstan demonstrates thatrestoration of the species is truly feasible.
With a view to the rapidfulfillment of the commitmentsundertaken by the RussianFederation, in autumn 2010 WWF-Russia embarked upon thecoordination of the revision of theAction Plan on saigas for the period2011-2015. The draft was submittedfor discussion to a wide range ofexperts and organizations andappropriate regional governmentagencies; in the process of revisionall the comments, amendments andadditions were accepted.
The draft plan includes a packageof measures for the development ofinternational cooperation for saigaprotection, and the improvement of
the regulatory and legal framework for the protection andrestoration of the species. Serious attention is directed tothe need to upgrade the network of protected areas inorder to secure the species' migratory routes, and also tothe enhancement of saiga protection outside protectedareas, and to the planning and implementation of apackage of measures to improve the condition of thespecies' habitat. Other sections of the Action Plan providefor the development of focussed scientific research aswell as upgrading of population monitoring, in particularthe monitoring of the saiga and its habitats using methodswhich do not harm the population. The Action Plan alsoincludes various outreach and educational activities,aimed at engaging local communities in conserving thesaiga population in Russia.
At the meeting of the Threatened Species Commissionon October 31, 2011, the draft Action Plan was approvedand, in accordance with established procedure, submittedto the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of theRussian Federation for finalization, official approval, andimplementation.
Issue 14, Winter 2011/201220
The development of a national planfor saiga conservation in Russia
Olga PereladovaCentral Asian Program, WWF-Russia, [email protected]
Saigas at the Centre for Wild Animals of the Republic ofKalmykia.
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would like to do everything in my power to improve thesituation for nature conservation.
Editor: What are prospects for saiga conservation? Whatneeds to be done first of all to help this species survive?
A.G.: Many years ago the saiga was also on the verge ofannihilation but severe laws helped it to recover. We needto attract attention to the issue of conservation, strengthenlegislation, raise awareness among local people andstrictly comply with the requirements of the law. I amsure we will manage to restore saiga numbers.
Editor: You have worked in conservation for manyyears. What has changed over these years and what arecurrent tendencies in this sphere?
A.G.: Yes, I have worked in this field for rather a longtime and can say that a tendency for the better is startingto show. Many more people are beginning to understandthat conservation is not just a folly of some fanatics, butthat it is a vital necessity for the preservation of life onEarth, our shared Earth. Nature does not have borders andmany, including politicians, are beginning to realize this.I believe that this will lead directly to a significantimprovement in nature conservation in the near future.
Editor: When did you first take an interest in the saiga?
A.G.: Since my childhood I have always been very muchinterested in the life of wild animals and when I saw asaiga in a picture (I do not actually remember when), itsunusual appearance really amazed me. But I began to takea keen interest in this species when I started work at theInspectorate in 1976.
Editor: What is your ordinary day like?
A.G.: Currently I have to do a lot of administration andpaperwork. I constantly meet with different people whocome to our organization to discuss various issues; if ourstaffs are unable to resolve these problems at their level,than I have to get involved in solving them. Mostregrettably, currently I do very little operational,inspection work.
Editor: Can you tell us any interesting story about thesaiga?
A.G.: I encountered saigas very often when I wasengaged in operations. There were many differentsituations, yet it was just my work, I did not perceive it assomething extraordinary.
Editor: What are the main problems in your work?
A.G.: The main problems include: technical equipment ofthe inspectors, staff training, developing additions andamendments to the law with regard to the strengtheningof controls over the use of natural resources.
Editor: How can be the obstacles to your work beremoved?
A.G.: Awareness about conservation should be enhancedamong decision-makers. In addition, we need to educatethem about conservation. The politicians and economistsmust understand that it is easier and better to investmillions in nature conservation today than invest billionsin restoration of the environment in the future.
Editor: What is the best thing in your work?
A.G.: The very best thing is that I enjoy this work and
Saiga News 21
Saiga heroes
Editor's note: In this issue we publish our Editor’s interview with Aleksandr A. GRIGORYANTS,acting head of the State Biocontrol Department of the Nature Protection Committee of the Republicof Uzbekistan. Mr. GRIGORYANTS has worked on the protection of Uzbekistan's unique naturalheritage for many years. The most striking memorable moments of his career are connected with hisoperational work combatting poaching. He is also in charge of the implementation of internationalconventions including CITES and CMS, which cover saiga conservation actions.
Alexander Grigoryants in his office.
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In 2011 we were fortunate to be able to run twoseparate small grants competitions. The first, supportedby CIC and WCN, is the continuation of our ongoinginitiative to support grassroots projects and build capacityof those working to implement the priority actions of theMedium Term Work Programme of the MOU on saigaconservation under the Convention on Migratory Species.The winners were selected by the Steering Committee ofthe SCA in September 2011.This year we were pleased tobe able to support three excellent projects, whichrepresent a broad range of activities and geographicallocations. They are:
· Mingxia Zhang (China) “Reducing the illegal tradein saiga horn in Guangzhou, China”
· Makhsut Zharimbetov (Kazakhstan) “Creation,duplication and distribution of the comic bookSaga of the saiga”
· Viktoria Nostaeva (Russia) “Creation of a mobilewide-frame information stand about the saiga anddelivering lectures for the ecological education ofschoolchildren in the Republic of Kalmykia”
The SCA was also asked by the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service to administer a one-off small grantscompetition on their behalf. This had the same aims as theannual SCA competition, but supported projects with abudget of up to $20,000 rather than $2,000. Seveninternational independent experts were involved in thepanel to select the best projects. We were pleased to beable to support four excellent projects, again representinga range of priority activities and carried out in threedifferent countries:
· Anatoliy Khludnev (Russia) “Improvement oftechnical equipment of the Sanctuary “Stepnoi” toreinforce the struggle against poaching and toimprove saiga conservation in Astrakhan region”.
· Yuri Arylov (Russia) “Monitoring of Saigapopulations in the Northwest Pre-Caspian using theobservations and knowledge of the local people”.
· Batkhuyag Baldangombo (Mongolia) “Buildingcapacity for preventing transboundary trade ofSaiga derivates in the Western parts of Mongoliaand China”.
· Yan Xie (China) “Enhancing Capacity ofGovernment Law Enforcement to Reduce IllegalSaiga Horn Trade in Guangzhou, China”.
Issue 14, Winter 2011/201222
The 2011 SCA Small grants competitions
Project round-up
We congratulate all seven winners, and look forward to reading about their workin future issues of Saiga News.
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we hope that, with more funding, we will be able toincrease the amount of information in Russian, andtranslate the site into the other languages spoken withinthe saiga range.
The SRC website, including the database, will be goinglive in the next few weeks. In the meantime, we askeveryone working on saigas to complete the Project andExpert forms which will ensure that your details areincluded in the databases. You can access these forms athttp://www.saiga-conservation.com/saiga-resource-centre.html or by emailing Alyona Shmalenko,[email protected].
Please also send any documents, photos or othermaterials which you would like to share at the SRC toAdam Phillipson, [email protected], who is workingwith the SCA to collate the materials for the site.
We hope that all those who are working on saigaconservation will participate in this initiative, which willsupport the implementation of the MTIWP and promotecollaboration and information sharing for improved saigaconservation.
In February 2011, the SaigaConservation Alliance (SCA) andthe Association for theConservation of Biodiversity inKazakhstan (ACBK) signed an
agreement with the Convention on Migratory Species(CMS) to coordinate implementation of the MediumTerm International Work Programme on saigaconservation. Supported by a small grant from CMS,ACBK and the SCA have been working on two mainactivities; the creation of a database of saiga projects andexperts (led by ACBK) and the creation of an onlineSaiga Resource Centre, SRC (led by SCA). The two willbe combined so that the databases become bothsearchable and updatable online. This information will beavailable only to registered users.
The SRC website will also include a public area, whereanyone can access photos, documents, videos and otherinformation about saigas. There will be a dedicated areafor environmental education materials, sponsored byDisney Coins for Change. The SRC will have bothEnglish and Russian language documents available, and
Saiga News 23
AnnouncementsCoordination of the CMS MTIWP
Screen grab of a page of the Saiga Resource Center, under development.
Issue 14, Winter 2011/201224
Editorial team. China: A. Kang ([email protected]) & Fenglian Li ([email protected]), WCS China; Kazakhstan:Professor A. Bekenov & Dr Yu.A. Grachev, Institute of Zoology ([email protected]), O. Klimanova, ACBK([email protected]); Mongolia: Dr B. Lhagvasuren ([email protected]) & B. Chimeddorj,([email protected]), WWF-Mongolia; Russia: Professor Yu. Arylov, Centre for Wild Animals ofthe Republic of Kalmykia ([email protected]) & Dr A. Lushchekina, Institute of Ecology & Evolution([email protected]); Uzbekistan: E. Bykova [Executive Editor] & Dr A. Esipov, Institute of Zoology([email protected]); UK: Professor E.J. Milner-Gulland [Advisory Editor], Imperial College London ([email protected]).
All contributions are welcome, in any of our six languages. Please send them to [email protected] or to one ofthe Editors. We publish twice a year. Guidelines for authors are available in English and Russian atwww.saiga-conservation.com or on request from the Editors. Please contact the Editors responsible for SaigaNews in your country, or the Executive Editor Elena Bykova ([email protected]), if you have any questions orconcerns.
This publication is available online at www.saiga-conservation.com andhttp://saigak.biodiversity.ru/publications.html, and as a pdf or in hard copy on request to the Editors, inChinese, English, Kazakh, Mongolian, Russian and Uzbek.
AcknowledgementsThe Saiga Conservation Alliance would like to express its sincere gratitude to the following individuals for
supporting our activities over the last 6 months: Marjorie Parker, Linda Tabor-Beck, Steven and Karin Chase,Kennon and Bob Hudson, Susan and Curtis Combs, Jeff Flocken (IFAW), Chip Owen, Kim and KevinNykanen, Brad Roberts and Anne Marie Burgoyne, Taieen Gasti, Lisa & Belinda Tucker, Deborah Chorneyko,Susanne Whiting, Peter Jelinek, Ada von Tscharner, Gavin Evans. We would like to express our gratitude to theWCN staff and volunteers for their support and advice. Particular thanks to Martin Varon, the brilliantphotographer who for a number of years has kindly provided us with WCN Expo week photos for Saiga News.We are especially grateful to Mike Bromberg, graphic designer, for his generous help in producing our newSCA e-newsletter Saiga Spotlight.
We are grateful to the organisations that have supported this issue of the newsletter – WCN, CMS, WWFMongolia and WCS-China.
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