Saiga is a cloven-hoofed mammal from the subfamily of real antelopes. Nowadays, saiga lives only in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In 2002, The International Union for the conservation of nature (IUCN) classified this species as «CR» — critical condition. However, the number of saiga in Kazakhstan rapidly falling. Thus, in 2010, about 12 thousand saigas died. In 2015, there was a mass death of saiga in Kazakhstan in three regions: Akmola, Kostanay and Aktobe. The cause of mass death was an infection caused by the pathogen Pasteurella — multocida-pasteurellosis. As for June 2, 2015, 132 329 saiga carcasses were disposed of in total: 113 309 in Kostanay region, 9 634 in Aktobe region and 9 386 in Akmola region.
The decline in the population of saiga is an actual problem of modern Kazakhstan. The number of saigas is decreasing because of the poaching and severe weather conditions. In case of the poaching problem in the country a moratorium on the shooting of saigas until the 2020 year. However, according to the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan in 2016 there were more than 238 ads on the Internet about the sale or purchase of saiga antlers.
To prevent, as well as to inform Kazakhstani people about the acute problem of a rare animal disappearance on November 23 in the shopping centre Mega SilkWay in Astana at the initiative of the scientific journal National Geographic Qazaqstan and Caspian Pipeline Consortium opened “Uly dala kiesi” photo exhibition. The main purpose of the exhibition is to create an ecological culture among the population, to attract public attention to the problems of environmental protection and to expand the public’s horizons about saiga antelope. The photo exhibition presented photos from the place of medical help to saiga, as well as photos of their behaviour in the natural habitat, general information and a stand with drawings of schoolchildren devoted to the problem. Photo exhibition «Uly dala kiesi» lasted for twenty days.
Diana Temirova
