Saiga

You might think a herd-living herbivore that weighs about as much as a German shepherd and roams a remote, often freezing, treeless landscape would largely be out of harm’s way. But alas, the sturdy little saiga of the Eurasian steppes is ruthlessly stalked by poachers, as well as tiny, but no less deadly, threats like bacterium and viruses. But the small antelope with the big nose is built to survive in its unforgiving landscape, and with some conservation intervention, we hope this hardy mammal will rally against the odds.

The nose knows.  It’s big, it’s bulbous, and it’s a pretty nifty adaptation! The remarkable proboscis-like saiga nose drapes over its mouth and points downward. The bones on the inside of the nose are complex and convoluted, and the nasal openings are lined with hairs, glands, and mucous tracts. Each nostril is a sac lined with mucous membranes. This mysterious muzzle may help the saiga warm up inhaled frigid winter air and filter out dust during the arid summer months. Not surprisingly, the saiga has a keen sense of smell.

According to National Geographic,there is evidence that the saiga micro-trunk nose aids in communication and choosing mates, as well. The loud nasal roars made by male saiga are thought to advertise body size and condition, and help males woo females.

The saiga has heavy, wool-like fur with a fringe of long, guard hairs from the chin to the chest. During the summer, it is cinnamon buff on the top of the body with darker fur on the side of the face and nose. The rump, tail, and underparts are creamy-white. In the winter, the coat is thicker and more uniformly pale in color. Males have heavily ridged, amber-colored horns that grow 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) long. Unfortunately, they are heavily hunted for this accessory. This antelope has long, thin legs but is similar in size to a sheep.

Saiga under siege.  Populations of saiga (there are only 5) have crashed over the last decade, with more than 80 percent of the total saiga population lost due to overhunting for meat and poaching of males for their horns, used in Asian folk remedies. Another ongoing threat is habitat loss due to inadequate levels of protection in some places, competition with livestock for space, and migratory barriers like border fences. Additionally, a dreadful “small ruminant plague” virus killed off thousands of Mongolian saiga and a bacterial disease struck a larger population of Russian saiga that live on the grasslands of Kazakhstan. In May 2015, when the saiga gathered to give birth in Kazakhstan, about 200,000 perished from a usually harmless bacterium.

According to the journal Science Advances,the likely culprit was “a bizarre and sudden change in climate” with the frigid weather turning unusually warm and wet, providing the impetus for the nose bacteria Pasteurella multocidato kill its host through blood poisoning. The admirable antelope with the tiny tail and bulbous nose was—and is—in dire straits! Fortunately, several conservation organizations from around the globe are poised to help this antelope continue to roam.