Saiga in Kazakhstan, the Problem of SurvivalSaiga (Saiga tatarica L.) is a herd migrating animal of arid zones of Eurasia. Most of its population area nowadays is located on Kazakhstan territory. Out of its borders Saiga is met in not big amounts in Russia (Kalmykia) and Mongolia (is registered in the Red Data book). From Kazakhstan some part of population migrate to Bordering regions of Uzbekistan (Karakalpakiya) and Turkmenistan for wintering, and in spring animals return in the opposite direction. Besides, in some seasons it stays between Ural and Volga rivers on the territory of Astrakhanskaya and Volgogradskaya regions of Russia. Those peculiarities of territorial habitat tell us to consolidate with the countries involved in Saiga conservation.In Kazakhstan during more that 40 years Saiga was the main subject of national commercial hunting (by licenses), and was main source of meat, leather-processing raw material and horns export. In the beginning of 90s its population number (in spring, before breeding began) was 800-900 thousands of specimen, 100 thousands of which were hunted for yearly during the hunting season. But closer to mid-90s situation begins to change in a worse way. Because of the hard economic situation nature protection system weakens. Massively expands illegal hunting (poaching) for horns, which are used as a medicine raw material in Tibetan medicine. Reasons that help increase poaching, are social: people don't have money and jobs, especially in country areas, and find the source of money and food in Saiga hunting. Males' horns become the subject of smuggling, which stimulates animals' disappearing. To suppress illegal horns trade this species was put in 1994 in addition 2 of...
