Global Warming: The Saiga Antelope Is Endangered
The saiga antelope is endangered, but illegal hunting is not the only threat. Read this article to find out what global warming has to do with the death of more than 90% of the saiga antelope population in the past 20 years.
The saiga antelope is a strange looking animal that has suffered severe population losses in recent years. Scientists around the world are working tirelessly to prevent this species from becoming completely extinct.
Saiga antelopes are migratory animals that inhabit Central Asia, its plains and semi-arid zones. Saiga antelopes migrate through Kazakhstan, Mongolia, southern Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan all year round.
Usually the animals migrate about a thousand kilometers a year. Saiga antelopes usually migrate from north to south and vice versa. However, several scientists have reported irregular movements from time to time.
The most striking feature of this antelope species is its plump and trunk-shaped nose. This nose is a holdover from their development. The organ of smell has developed in such a way that it acts like an air filter.
The saiga antelope’s nose is large and flexible. It has a complex internal structure that serves various purposes. During the hikes, the nose filters the air so that no blown dust or dirt gets into the lungs.
In the winter season, the nose warms the air before it reaches the lungs so that the animal can maintain a stable body temperature.
When spring comes, the saiga females migrate to the mating areas. These areas have been the same for dozens of years: wide meadows with tall grass.
The saiga antelope is endangered . On the one hand, this is due to illegal hunting and poaching. Saigaa antelope horns are sold on the black market at very high prices. In China, the horns of the saiga antelopes have a high traditional value.
To the mass extinction of the saiga antelope
Illegal hunting, a concern of various animal welfare groups, is not the only threat to the saiga antelope. There is a silent enemy who over the years has managed to wipe out more than 90% of the entire population.
In 2015, around 200,000 saiga antelopes suddenly died within a few days. The researchers were appalled by this phenomenon and thousands of animals collapsed along the prairies of Kazakhstan for no apparent reason.
The saiga antelopes were collected in their usual mating area during the disaster. Various experts – including veterinarians, zoologists and ecologists – admitted that they had never seen anything like it.
After several analyzes, they found that the cause of death was a serious infection in the bloodstream from a bacterium. This infection caused severe internal bleeding and sepsis in the animals.
Recent studies have shown that the proliferation of deadly bacteria was caused by the weather at the time: too humid and too hot. After examining the historical evidence from previous research on the antelope, a surprising result was obtained.
The 2015 disaster is not the first mass extinction of saiga antelopes. Periodically, this species has died suddenly in most populations.
After analyzing the historical evidence , the experts concluded that the climate was similar every time the dying occurred. But how does hot, humid weather relate to the spread of disease?
The saiga antelope is endangered: global warming, migrations and infectious diseases
Global warming is a phenomenon that has preoccupied governments and individuals around the world for years. But global warming isn’t just affecting humans.
The accelerated climate change caused by the industrialization of humans is having serious consequences for the flora and fauna of the world.
Due to global warming, large numbers of species have had to migrate to climates more suitable for survival.
Many animal and plant species react to rising temperatures and move to colder climates. This means that many disease-prone insects also move around.
As temperatures rise and the weather changes, the periods of precipitation change too. Rain-related pests – like mosquitoes – multiply like never before in tropical areas.
Scientists have long known that warm climates are the ideal medium for disease to spread. Bacteria multiply much faster in warm climates.
In the saiga antelope, the bacteria responsible for their mass death can always be found in the nostrils. However, it was the rise in temperature that caused the uncontrolled multiplication of bacteria in the saiga’s body.
If we want the saiga antelope to be preserved, we must try to limit our production of polluting gases. As with many other species, the survival of saiga antelopes will depend on the long-term preservation of the global environment.
