The bulbous, protruding nose of the saiga is a hallmark of the saigaA rare type of antelope has seen its population more than double since 2019, a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.The first aerial survey conducted in two years has shown that the number of saiga living in Kazakhstan's heartland has increased from 334,000 to 842,000.After a 2015 mass death, there were concerns that the animal would soon die.World headlines were made by distressing images of dead bodies dotted across the steppes.After a series conservation measures including a crackdown on poaching and conservation work locally and internationally, numbers are starting to rebound.This, along with the species' natural resilience, is a sign of hope for their future," said Albert Salemgareyev, of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan.He told BBC News that twins are born every year and there is high potential for species to recover quickly.The fortunes of the saiga have seen dramatic changes. Albert Salemgareyev said that despite the boom, the numbers won't return to the millions they were in Soviet times because of looming threats. These include the effects of oil and gas development and state infrastructure projects.In April, the latest survey showed a significant increase in total population, as well as a dramatic recovery in one specific population in Ustyurt, in the south.There were only 1,000 animals left in the region in 2015, but this year there has been an increase to 12,000.Last wildernessFauna & Flora International is a UK-based non-profit organization. They have been active in protecting the Ustyurt people by establishing an anti-poaching team and using satellite tracking to track saiga movements.David Gill, FFI's senior programme manager for Central Asia said that the new census provided the strongest evidence to date that the decades-long conservation efforts to preserve the Saiga had paid off.Continue the storyHe warned against complacency and said that saiga migrate over large areas so future infrastructure projects that could fragment its habitat are a concern.He said, "But this data is cause to celebrate." "There are very few wildernesses like the steppes in central Asia that remain on the planet. It is encouraging to know that the saiga herds still traverse these wildernesses in their thousands, just as they did since prehistoric times.The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the saiga as one of five critically endangered antelope species.The species goes by the scientific name Saiga tatarica. In the 20th century, the numbers plummeted by more than 90%, and were close to extinction many times.The majority of the world's Saiga live in Kazakhstan, but the antelope can also be found in Uzbekistan and southern Russia.The poaching of its horns, which are highly prized in Chinese medicine, drove the Kazakh independence-era animal to the brink.The Kazakh government has taken measures to protect the Saiga population in recent years, including cracking down on poaching and imposing maximum 12 year prison sentences. They also established nature reserves.Stephanie Ward, Altyn Dala international coordinator at Frankfurt Zoological Society, stated that the antelope was one of very few living animals to have been able to run free among both Neanderthal and 21st Century humans.She said, "It's exciting for their numbers to start to recover to levels close to 1,000,000 individuals. It speaks volumes about Government of Kazakhstan's dedication to their protection."2015's death was attributed to a bacterium that had been in the saiga. This bacterium became a deadly killer because of high humidity and higher than average daily temperatures on steppes.Follow Helen on Twitter.
