Rare antelope brought back from the brink

The population of saigas – a rare type of antelope – has almost doubled thanks to conservation efforts in Kazakhstan, the country where most of the animals live.

In 2015, saigas were critically endangered and risked going extinct. Now, thanks to conservation efforts including a crackdown on poaching and the creation of new nature reserves, the species has made an astonishing recovery.

According to a new nationwide survey, the total number of saigas in Kazakhstan has increased from 334,000 to 842,000 in the last six years. This includes a rise from 1,000 to 12,000 in one region alone. Although conservationists have celebrated the new figures, they have also highlighted that more work needs to be done to protect saiga populations in future. The antelopes spend their lives travelling across vast areas of grassland, known as steppe, and habitat loss has a huge impact on the species. Thankfully, saigas are also pretty resilient (able to withstand tough conditions). Females give birth to twins each year, which allows for a quick increase in numbers.

Ababyand adult saiga.