Thousands of dead saigas: alarming video explained by the Ministry of Ecology
Tengrinews.kz - A video is being distributed on the Internet, which shows numerous carcasses of dead saigas. The Ministry of Ecology commented on the horrific footage.
According to the department, most of the dead saigas were found in the natural habitat of these animals: in the Ulytau, Karaganda, Kyzylorda, Atyrau and West Kazakhstan regions.
"Considering the biology and life cycle of the saiga, the identified cases are associated with natural mortality," the Ministry of Ecology commented.
As reported by the relevant department, according to the existing algorithm, the carcasses of the animals are subject to disposal.
"The work is being carried out by territorial and subordinate divisions of the Forestry and Wildlife Committee together with akimats, veterinary services, police officers and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In total, more than 150 people are involved. 51 units of equipment are involved. Since the beginning of the year, more than 5.2 thousand carcasses have been disposed of," the ministry reported.
According to the head of the theriology laboratory of the Institute of Zoology A. Grachev, under normal conditions, the annual natural mortality of saigas of all age groups is about 20% of the total population. In this case, up to half of adult males can die.
"The saiga is a steppe animal with a short lifespan and a high reproduction rate. In severe winters, the saiga population can decrease by 40-50%, especially if such winters were preceded by a spring-summer drought. In winter, animals lose fat reserves due to heavy snowfalls and limited access to forage. In the deserts and semi-deserts of Kazakhstan, such natural phenomena are observed quite often, which leads to the death of some weakened saiga individuals," the Ministry of Ecology quoted the specialist as saying.
It was previously reported that mass death of saigas was recorded in the Ulytau region. The regional akimat (local government administration) commented on the situation.